To Love Again
By: Kasey
Copyright: 1998
" Jordan do you ever plan on dating
again?" Jordan looked at his friend and manager, Miguel and shrugged nonchalantly.
" It has only been a few months since Terrie
died Miguel. I'm just not ready yet," he said firmly, trying to discourage
the conversation. But Miguel wasn't about to give up.
" It's been almost six months. And you haven't
even thought about seeing another woman. I'm beginning to think that when
Terrie died, she took your heart and will to live with her."
" Must we talk about this now?" Jordan
asked irritably.
" Yes. As your friend I'm worried about you. I
know you loved Terrie. No one doubts that. But you have to let her go, you have
to move on. Terrie may be dead but you are very much alive," Miguel said.
Jordan glared at him.
" Do you think I don't know that? Terrie is
the last person I think of each night before I go to bed, and the first person I
think of when I wake each morning. I think of how she's not here to spend
Christmas with me. She loved Christmas. And I loved how she had Christmas. We
may have only had one Christmas together, yet it seemed like more than one. I
don't even want Christmas to come this year," he said tautly.
" You can't shut yourself away over Christmas.
Your family expects you to celebrate with them."
" Damn it, I know that! I'm not completely
stupid you know. But that doesn't mean that I have to be happy. Or pretend to be
happy. My family will understand. You should as well," Jordan said
angrily, stalking out of the studio. Miguel followed him relentlessly.
" Jordan, I understand why you think you
should feel that way, but believe me, its the wrong attitude," he said and
stepped back warily when Jordan swung around, black murder in his eyes.
" Damn it Miguel! I just can't forget Terrie!
She wouldn't want me to!"
" Oh I know that. But she wouldn't want you to
become bitter and lonely, to shut yourself off from any chance to love
again," Miguel said quietly. Jordan stared at him, surprise and revelation
dawning on him. No, Terrie wouldn't want him to shut himself off from love. She
would want him to love again. If he had've been the one to die, he would have
wanted her to love again. He rubbed his hand over his face and sighed.
" All right, all right. I see your point. I'll
start dating again, but nothing serious okay? Just casual dating," he
said, watching as Miguel smiled.
" Great! You can start tonight," he said.
Jordan laughed softly.
" I knew you were leading up to something.
Who's the girl?"
" A friend of Kasey's."
" And Kasey is...who again?" he knew
this, he really did.
" My girlfriend. Remember? The Australian? The
one I've been dating since August?" Miguel said. Jordan nodded slowly. He
could just see a vague image of the green eyed auburn haired woman Miguel was
so enraptured with.
" I remember. You're still with her? If I
remember correctly, she's a little too independent and opinionated for my
liking," he said and grinned when Miguel glared at him.
" I'm not dating her for you Jordan. And if
she wasn't so independent and opinionated, I wouldn't like her as much as I do.
We have some pretty fantastic arguments at times," Miguel said and Jordan
laughed.
" Not to mention pretty fantastic make up
sessions," he said cheekily but, to his surprise, instead of going along
with the conversation, Miguel just smiled mysteriously and changed the subject.
" So will you come out with us tonight?
Danielle is only in town for Christmas. She'll be spending Christmas day with
me and Kasey. She's thinking of moving to Boston, which Kasey is hoping will
happen, so we have to show her what Boston has to offer," Miguel said.
" I suppose I can come out. Does Kasey know
you plan on asking me?" Jordan asked.
" She suggested it. Why?"
" The few times we've met, I got the feeling
she didn't like me that much," for some reason that mattered to him.
Miguel had found a woman he was happy with. Miguel was also Jordan's friend. So
it was only natural that he wanted anyone connected to Miguel to like him.
" Kasey? Not like you? Now that's funny! She
was thinking the same about you. For some reason, she's worried that if you
don't like her, my opinion of her will change. She desperately wants to impress
you," Miguel said, laughing a little.
" Oh I liked her. She's just not my
type," Jordan said and Miguel smiled, more to himself that Jordan.
" Good," he said, sounding relieved and
satisfied all at once.
*****
" So have you made up your mind yet
Danielle?" Danielle looked up from the price tag she was looking at smiled
at her friend.
" Kasey, I've been here a total of two days
and already you wanna know if I plan in moving here? Give me time to recover
girl!" she said and laughed when Kasey pulled an apologetic face.
" You like Boston. Its not like you've never
been here before. And you can stay with me and Miguel until you find somewhere
to live. I'm sure you'll settle in fast," Kasey said, flicking through the
clothes on the rack.
" Like I'm sure Miguel would appreciate me
living with you two so soon after moving in together. You two need space to
adjust to living with each other. You don't need a third wheel hanging
around," Danielle said.
" We wouldn't have asked you to stay with us
if we didn't want you around," Kasey said quietly and Danielle nodded.
" I know that. But I still feel weird being
around you two. It's like living with newlyweds," Danielle said and
laughed when Kasey blushed.
" We do want you to stay. So, please
stay," Kasey said and Danielle sighed.
" I'm here until after Christmas. I'll make my
decision by then. You never know Kase, y'all just may get sick of me by
Christmas," she said teasingly and Kasey laughed.
" Oh I so doubt that!" Kasey said as they
moved on to the perfume and make up counter. Danielle was just spraying on the
new Calvin Klein fragrance when Kasey dropped her bombshell," By the way,
we're going out to dinner tonight." Danielle's aim was off as she stared
incredulously at Kasey, so most of the perfume ended up being sprayed into thin
air.
" We are?"
" Yep. Miguel wants to take is both out so
we're going out," Kasey was so nonchalant about it that Danielle
immediately began to suspect something was up.
" That sounds almost like a set up," she
said watching Kasey warily. She became even more suspicious when she saw a
small smile playing on Kasey's lips. But when Kasey faced her, there was no
expression on her face except for an innocent gleam in her eyes. But Danielle
knew her friend well enough to know that Kasey did the most damage when she
looked innocent," Spill it girl."
" What? There is nothing to spill. Miguel
wants to take us out to dinner. How can that be a set up?"
" Like I'm really going to believe you,"
Danielle said.
" You've got a suspicious mind."
" Around you I need a suspicious mind. There
is no way I'd survive if I didn't. Who have you and Miguel lined up for me
tonight?" Danielle asked.
" Let's go home and maybe I'll tell you,"
Kasey said and started walking away, leaving Danielle no choice but to follow
her.
*****
" I cannot go into that restaurant
Kasey," Danielle said, stubbornly holding onto the car door. She saw
Miguel and Kasey share a look but she refused to give in.
" Danielle, you have to come inside. Jordan
will think we're standing him up," Kasey said. In Danielle's surprise, she
let go of the car door and Miguel took advantage of that, grasping her arm and
steering her towards the restaurant.
" You mean he know I'm coming?" she asked
and Miguel nodded.
" Yes. And he's probably sitting at the bar, drink
in front of him, watching the time impatiently," Miguel said and true to
his word, that was exactly what Jordan was doing. The only exception to what
Miguel had said was, Jordan had obviously had more than one drink. Danielle
almost gasped out loud at the sheer perfection of the man before her eyes.
Sure, on previous visits to Boston she had seen him but never before had she
had the chance to talk to him, to have dinner with him. As nervous as she was,
she was also not going to mess tonight up.
" Jordan, this is Danielle. Danielle,
Jordan," Miguel said as he carefully watched his friend. Something wasn't
right. It wasn't as though Jordan never drank when they went out, because he
did. But it was unusual that he should have more than one, two at the most.
" Danielle! So you're the lovely lady Miguel
wanted me to meet! I can see why!" as Jordan got up off the bar stool, he
stumbled forward and Danielle had to end up stopping him from falling. Miguel
groaned inwardly at the less than impressed glance Danielle shot Kasey, who in
return, glared at him angrily.
" Jordan, nice to meet you," Danielle
said, none of her doubts showing. Jordan straightened himself and slung both
arms around the two women. Kasey gently removed herself from his grasp and
moved to Miguel's side. As Jordan and Danielle made their way to the table,
Kasey pulled Miguel aside.
" Do something!" she hissed angrily.
" What can I do? The mans drunk Kasey? We'll
just have to make sure he doesn't drink anything but coffee for the rest of the
night," he said and cringed when Kasey glared at him, a fierce anger in
her eyes," Damn it, what do you expect me to do?"
" Take him to the men's room, stick his head
under the cold water tap and talk some sense into him!" Kasey said and
walked away from him. Miguel watched her go, a rueful smile on his face. He
should have known better than to mess with Kasey and her Irish temper. He was
thankful that she was so opinionated - the last thing he wanted was someone who
sat by quietly and never said a word, but he never expected her to be like
this! Miguel sighed and walked into the dining room, trying to figure out what
he was going to say to Jordan to get him to come with him. But, as he found
out, there wasn't any need. Jordan wasn't at the table. When Miguel's eyes met
Kasey's, she indicated towards the bathrooms. He walked over to them and
entered, to find Jordan not in the best condition.
*****
" Does he usually get drunk before dinner has
even started?" Danielle asked Kasey quietly.
" Not that I know of. But I've only had dinner
with the man once before," she said, watching the door to the men's room
with worry on her face.
" He looked...different."
" How?" Kasey still had her eyes on the
door.
" He looked lost. Defeated," that got her
attention. Kasey's eyes focused sharply on Danielle. There was worry and
sympathy in them and she was gnawing her bottom lip nervously.
" He did? Its happening again," Kasey
breathed, her voice soft. Danielle glanced at her curiously. What was happening
again?
" Kase? What is it?" Danielle asked,
moving over a seat so she was next to her friend.
" There's a lot you don't know about Jordan
and this last year. He's gone through hell of a lot, a lot more than anyone man
should go through in any lifetime," Kasey said, fiddling with the gold
wishbone ring she always wore.
" What is it? Nothing was said. You never even
mentioned that there was anything wrong with him in any of your emails."
" When Miguel told me and asked me not to say
anything to anyone, what could I do? I'm not the type to spread gossip and
this...wow...I'd never break my promise. But Miguel will forgive me if I tell
you," Kasey said seriously. Danielle waited, watching as Kasey fingered
her ring nervously," Jordan was involved with a woman. Up until January
this year, they were a couple for six months. Her name was Terri and apparently
Jordan was really happy. She was good for him and extremely well liked. Miguel
showed me a photo of her once. She wasn't glamour material but she was
beautiful. She had an inside radiance as well as an outside one. Everyone
expected them to get married. And they probably would have too, except..."
Kasey stopped. Danielle slowly let out a breath she hadn't even realized she
had been holding.
" Except what? They split up?"
" One night, in the middle of January, while
Jordan and Terri were driving home from a party, a drunk driver crossed the
line. It was pretty icy so the drunk driver lost control. Even though Jordan
tried to avoid the other car, the drunk driver slammed into the passenger side.
The side Terri was in."
" God, no."
" She wasn't killed instantly but she was
injured. As it turned out, her liver had been lacerated so even if she had've
gone straight to hospital she would have died anyway. Jordan was holding her in
his arms when she died. He blamed himself for what happened for six months. No
one else had been killed, not even the other driver. Jordan went to the funeral
but it took six months for him to go back to her grave. During those six
months, he started drinking heavily, having one night stands, working
constantly. Miguel told me he was afraid Jordan had been trying to kill
himself. Then one day, he and Donnie went out to the cemetery. Whatever
happened out there change Jordan because apparently he became a different man. He
stopped having one night stands, the non-stop work and the excessive drinking.
As far as I know, Jordan has only gone on a drinking binge twice in the last
six months - one on Terri's birthday and again on the anniversary of the day
they met. He called Miguel both times and Miguel went over to sober him up and
talk him through it."
" So what set him off tonight?" Danielle
asked, her heart crying out for him.
" I don't know. And I wish to God I did
because I feel helpless here," Kasey said, her eyes wandering over to the
men's door again.
*****
" J? Man, what the hell happened?" Miguel
asked him when Jordan finally emerged from a cubicle. Jordan headed over to the
taps and splashed cold water on his face. Miguel watched as his hands curled
around the hand basin and he stared at himself in the mirror," J..."
" Have you ever really hated yourself so much
that all you wanted to do was die?" he asked huskily. Miguel stared at him
in surprise. What had happened to the laughing, teasing man from earlier that
day?
" Jordan? You wanna maybe tell me what's
wrong?" Miguel asked him, not letting his fear for his friend show in his
voice. Jordan bowed his head and Miguel could see that he was trying to compose
himself.
" I thought I was going to be able to handle
this tonight. I was honestly looking forward to coming out to dinner and just
forgetting my problems, for one night at least," Jordan said.
" So what happened to change that
attitude?"
" A friend of Terri's showed up."
" So?"
" It was that friend no one could get in touch
with for the funeral because she was travelling through Europe. Well, it seemed
someone forgot to mention it to her because she showed up at the house, all
ready to talk to Terri. They hadn't seen each other since she had left for
Europe. So I had to tell her Terri was dead. Then she wanted to know how it
happened. She heard the whole story and blamed me for it, saying if I had've
been more careful, she never would have died."
" You know there was nothing else you could
have done..."
" Are you sure of that? I could have taken the
hit. We never should have been out that night anyway. But I talked her into
coming with me. Said it was important! Hell, if I had of known that we would
have been in that accident, I never would have gone. I would have listened to
Terri and stayed home."
" Damn it, you were over this! This accident
wasn't your fault! Are you going to listen to some strange woman who doesn't
know you?" Miguel asked.
" Her attack came just when I was starting to
feel good about life. I don't feel up to having dinner tonight Miguel. I think
I'll just go home," Jordan said.
" I'll be damned if you chicken out of tonight
Jordan. You made a commitment and you're going to go out there and have dinner.
Kasey and Danielle aren't really impressed with you right now. Don't make me
tell them you don't want to have dinner with them," Miguel said firmly.
" Miguel, how are you going to explain this to
them?"
" Kasey knows."
" She does? Why did you tell her?"
" She is my girlfriend Jordan. I don't keep
secrets from her. When you called me on what would have been Terri's birthday,
I had to tell her why I couldn't spend the night with her. She won't tell
anyone who doesn't already know Jordan."
" What about Danielle? How will..."
" Kasey probably already told her."
" Damn it! I don't want them to feel sympathy
for me. Why did you have to tell your girlfriend?" Jordan sounded mad. But
Miguel could handle Jordan's anger. It was Kasey's he couldn't.
" Jordan, I don't keep anything from Kasey.
Its part of our relationship. You never kept anything from Terri. Why do you
expect different from me?"
" Ah man, I'm sorry. I'm just extra touchy
tonight."
" You can't run from this forever Jordan. If
you go out there with me right now, you'll be taking a step in the right direction."
" Fine. But if they even mention it..."
" They wont. Women tend to be a little more
tactful at times like this," Miguel said and they headed out to the dining
room.
*****
" Everything sorted out now Miguel?"
Kasey asked him in a very pointed voice. He glanced at her and inwardly
groaned. Why was it that every time Jordan screwed up, he was the one to pay?
" Everything is fine now sweetie," he
soothed her, leaning over to kiss her.
" Are you all right now Jordan?" Kasey
asked him and he nodded, hiding the grin he felt coming on. Damn she sounded
like a schoolteacher. He pitied Miguel. But as soon as he look at Danielle, his
good mood evaporated. She was looking at him, a mingle of disappointment and
something else on her face. He felt his heart sink. Damn.
" Are you sure you want to be here
Jordan?" Danielle asked.
" If I wasn't I wouldn't be here
Danielle," he said.
" Then why did you feel the need to get drunk
even before we arrived?" she asked. She looked determined to get the
answer out of her but he wasn't so sure she would like his reason.
" You weren't the reason..."
" No? Well you know what? It sure seems like
it. I don't happen to like men getting drunk before they meet me. Doesn't do a
lot for my ego, you know?" she asked and he just stared at her. Where was
this coming from?
" Danielle, there's a reason why I drank
before you arrived. And it wasn't because I was meeting you," he
protested.
" Jordan, how come I don't believe you?"
" I don't know. You tell me."
" You were drunk when I got here. You nearly
fell to the floor. You disappear into the bathroom as soon as you dump me at
the table. You come back and try to tell me that I am not at least part of the
reason why you got drunk tonight and you expect me to believe that?"
Danielle asked, not backing down on this. Damned if she was going to sit here
and take his behaviour without saying anything.
" Don't you ever get drunk for a reason?"
he asked sarcastically.
" I don't get drunk. Never have and never
will. I don't need alcohol to make my problems go away," she shot back at
him and stood up," Kasey, I'm going to the ladies room."
" I'll join you," Kasey said. She and
Danielle headed off the to the bathroom, leaving a stunned Miguel and a bemused
Jordan behind them.
" What's wrong with her?"
" Danielle? She's mad Jordan. Surely you can
see that," Miguel said dryly.
" Damn it I thought you told me Kasey would
have told her what happened," Jordan said,
" Yes but do you think Danielle believes its
that reason only? I know how nervous you were about tonight. How unwilling you
were to actually start dating again. I think that sub-consciously you wanted to
get drunk so that tonight would be easier for you," Miguel said as he
glanced at his watch," Damn it where are they?"
" I did not get drunk because of
Danielle," Jordan said stubbornly.
" Yes you did. Maybe that wasn't the full
reason but it was part of it. You didn't have the guts to face Danielle after
what that woman said to you so you decided to drink a few, to make it easier.
Did you feel better with some liquid courage in you Jordan?" Miguel asked.
He glanced at he ladies room and frowned when Kasey and Danielle headed towards
the foyer of the restaurant, and not the table. He got up from the table and
joined them just as Danielle was replacing the telephone received.
" Decided to leave us Danielle?" Miguel
asked casually.
" I think it's for the best Miguel. Jordan is
obviously not willing to make a go of this so I don't want to sit around all
night wishing I was somewhere else," Danielle said.
" And are you going with her Kasey?"
Miguel asked. He understood why Danielle would want to leave, but Kasey as
well?
" You deal with Jordan. I'm going home with
Danielle," Kasey said. Miguel sighed.
" Do you have to leave so soon Danielle?
Jordan will be on better behaviour now..."
" He's lucky I stayed this long. I could have
left right at the beginning Miguel but I stayed, despite my better judgement.
He's not willing to give this night a chance. I know when I'm not particularly
wanted," Danielle said and left the restaurant to stand outside to wait
for the cab.
" Kasey, did you tell her about Terri?"
Miguel asked.
" Yes."
" And she's still leaving?"
" I told her that Jordan was handling it. And
what does he do? Make me a liar. He needs to sort out his priorities, whether
he wants to be with the living or with the dead," Kasey said. Miguel
frowned," Look. I'm not criticizing him Miguel. Really I'm not. But
tonight was important in his recovery. And he failed. And I'm afraid that I
cant sit by and let a friend of mine end up being hurt because that...man in
there hasn't got the manners to act proper and treat Danielle like she deserves
to be treated."
" That's harsh Kasey."
" Maybe it is. But I call it how I see
it," she said, shrugging her shoulders.
" Then you see it wrong," he said and
started walking away from her.
" Am I Miguel? Or am I so close that you cant
handle the truth?" Kasey asked him. He stopped and looked back at him, his
face grim.
" I won't be coming home tonight Kasey,"
he said stiffly. Her face registered surprise but it was gone so quickly he
didn't even have time to regret his words.
" If that's the way you feel Miguel," she
said and he nodded.
" That's the way I feel," he said and
watched her as she left the restaurant. He stood there and watched as she and
Danielle got into the cab and drove away. Damn it. Why the hell had he just
done that?
*****
" He acted like an obnoxious jerk,"
Danielle said a little later that night.
" I'm not debating that."
" He could have apologized for being a falling
down drunk!"
" Again, no debate there."
" So why do I feel like I've just made the
biggest mistake of my life?" Danielle asked as she dropped to the floor
beside Kasey, who was eating some ice cream.
" Because you didn't mean to hurt him. You didn't
think before saying what you thought and now you wish you could go back and
start the night over again," Kasey said morosely as she put another
spoonful of the chocolate ice cream in her mouth. Danielle dropped her head
back onto the lounge chair and sighed.
" Exactly. I know he must be hurting over
Terri. And from what you said, something bad must have happened for him to
regress like that. But what I said was just a little bit out of line,"
Danielle admitted.
" But it was true Danielle. You have to keep
telling yourself that it is true. Because if you don't, and you keep replaying
that conversation in your mind over and over again, you'll drive yourself crazy
and hate what you said even more," Kasey said.
" Are we talking about you or me here?"
Danielle asked as she glanced at Kasey. Kasey shrugged and fit the lid back
onto the ice cream.
" You, of course. Listen Danielle. You said
what you believed was right. I don't blame you for being mad at Jordan. He
should have either cancelled tonight or shouldn't have drank as much as he did.
But he didn't and now he knows exactly what you think of him."
" You're right. Of course you're right. But
that doesn't mean I still don't feel bad for what I said," Danielle said
and Kasey sighed.
" Can't go back and change it now," she
muttered as she got to her feet and headed into the kitchen. Danielle followed
her and sat down at the table as she watched Kasey put the ice cream back into
the freezer and run the spoon under hot water.
" No I cant. Maybe I can call him tomorrow...no.
I will not apologize for being honest with him. If he wants to call me and
apologize for his behaviour, then ha can do it. Because I will not back down on
this," she said.
" Good for you chica." Kasey said and
covered her mouth as she yawned," Well, I'm off to bed."
" Not waiting up for Miguel tonight?"
Danielle asked. Usually if Miguel stayed out late, Kasey stayed up to wait for
him.
" Miguel chose not to come home tonight,"
Kasey said stiffly and Danielle looked at her and sighed.
" You two had a fight? Me being here isn't
working is it?" Danielle asked and instantly Kasey smiled.
" Hell no! Damn, I like having you here!
Miguel and I just fought about Jordan, that's all. Not you. We both like having
you here. Don’t you worry about us. We'll get through this. We always do,"
Kasey said," Night."
" Night," Danielle said.
*****
" Where are they?" Jordan asked Miguel as
he came back to the table. Miguel threw Jordan what could only be classed as a
glare and picked up his car keys.
" Gone."
" They left?" Jordan asked incredulously.
" Yes damn it. Danielle doesn't think that you
were willing to give her a chance to make tonight work. Said she knew she
wasn't wanted so why stay? Kasey isn't happy either. Happy Jordan?" Miguel
asked sarcastically as he left the dining room. Jordan stared after him and
realized he was going. And he also realized that Miguel was his only way home,
considering he has drank too much to be able to drive home safely. So he
hurried to his feet and almost ran after him.
" Miguel can I get a ride home with you?"
he asked and Miguel laughed shortly.
" Considering I'm staying at your place
tonight, I don't think that's going to be a problem," he said and left the
restaurant to go to his car. Jordan shook his head, bemused at this.
" Why are you staying at my place?"
" Kasey and I had a fight damn it,"
Miguel said as they reached the car and got in. Miguel twisted the keys in the
ignition savagely and drove out onto the street. Jordan watched his friend,
worry lines creasing his face. He knew that Kasey and Miguel fought but this
sounded a hell of a lot more serious than a simple fight.
" About me?"
" Who the hell else? She doesn't like to see
her friends treated the way you treated Danielle. So she left. I told her I
wasn't coming home and she didn't even fight it. Just nodded and left,"
Miguel said and Jordan could see him gripping the steering wheel in a death
grip.
" You told her you weren't coming home? What
happened to sitting down and talking out your problems?" Jordan asked but
shut up when Miguel glared at him again. The rest of the drive back to Jordan's
house was silent and strained. They pulled up in the driveway of the house and
as they got out of the car, Miguel turned to him.
" You got anything to drink in there?" he
asked and Jordan looked at him in surprise.
" You don't like to drink that much..."
" Well tonight I just want to forget about
this mess I seem to have gotten myself into," he said and Jordan shrugged
as they walked up the path to the front door. Jordan let them in and Miguel
headed straight to the bar in Jordan's den and brought out a bottle of whiskey.
He placed a glass on the top of the bar and poured himself a generous amount of
the amber liquid without offering Jordan any.
"Are you sure there's nothing I can do to make
you stop moping about?" Jordan asked Miguel. He shot him a glare and drank
the whiskey in his glass in one gulp. He winced as it burned all the way down
but he poured another one and drank that the same way.
" Nope," Miguel said sharply.
" Damn it, do you want to be drunk and stupid
tonight?" Jordan asked him.
" Might be able to forget that way,"
Miguel said and poured another drink.
" Miguel..."
" Damn it Jordan! If you can get drunk to
forget your problems, why the hell cant I?" Miguel lashed out at him and
they stared at each for a long while before Jordan sighed and shrugged.
" Go ahead and get drunk Miguel. But weren't
you the one who just old me drinking doesn't solve problems?" Jordan said
quietly but Miguel ignored him and continued drinking anyway.
*****
Danielle quietly shut the front door so as not to
alert Kasey to the fact she was going out and headed out to the car. She had
searched for Jordan's address in Miguel's address book, knowing the she had to
do something about Kasey and Miguel. She couldn't just sit back and let this
fight get out of hand. She started the car and headed towards Jordan's house.
She was very relieved when she saw Miguel's car in the driveway. She had been
half fearing that Miguel wouldn't be here. But he obviously was. She was
nervous, knowing that as soon as she rang that doorbell, she would have to face
Jordan again, after leaving him in the restaurant. But she was worried about
Miguel and Kasey so seeing him was just a thing she had to do to help her friend.
She rang the bell and waited impatiently, shifting from one foot to the other
as she waited for Jordan to open the door. And when he finally did, the look on
his face satisfied her immensely.
" What are you doing here?" Jordan asked,
his voice choked and surprised. Danielle threw him a sarcastic smile as her
mind raced wildly. She needed to get in there to get Miguel. How was she going
to do that?
*****
She decided to be straightforward. Surely Miguel
had told Jordan what had happened. And if he was any kind of friend to Miguel,
he would want them back together.
" I've come to take Miguel back to his place,'
she said.
" He's in there. Drunk," Jordan said
shortly and Danielle nodded as he let her inside. She entered the den and
almost laughed at the comical way Miguel was sprawled on one of the chairs. He
looked up as she entered the room and tried to sit up straight.
" Danielle! is Kasey here with you?" he
asked, looking around. His face fell when she shook her head.
" Kasey is at home you dense idiot. What the
hell are you doing here? You should be at home with her! Not here, drinking
yourself into oblivion. Now get your ass out of that chair and come home with
me," Danielle said but Miguel shook his head. Damn, he was going to be
stubborn.
" No. Kasey and I need time apart...damn it
Danielle that hurts!" Miguel said as she grabbed a hold of his ear and
started lifting him up. He tried to move her hand from his ear but she was
holding on tightly and he knew that he had to move with her or she would seriously
hurt him.
" You're damn lucky I'm not grabbing you
somewhere else Miguel. But I don't think Kasey would appreciate that if I did.
Are you going to come with me or what?" Danielle asked. Miguel was now on
his feet, starring at her with a mutinous look on his face. Danielle
sighed," Fine." She started dragging Miguel out of the room by his
ear, ignoring his cries and Jordan's laughing.
" Ow, ow, ow, ow! Damn it Danielle! Will you
stop that?" Miguel asked, stumbling down the stairs.
" Not until you come with me quietly and
willingly," she said and continued to pull him along to the car. She let
go of his ear and opened the passenger door for him and glared at him.
" Danielle, did Kasey put you up to
this?" he asked as he got into the car, a resigned look on his face.
" I am here without Kasey knowing about it,
Trust me Miguel. If Kasey knew I was here she would literally kill me. But I am
not staying in that house with her so damn down because you're too pigheaded to
see what you did was wrong. Its Christmastime damn it. We're all supposed to be
happy!" she said angrily and Miguel bit back a grin.
" So that means you're going to forgive
Jordan, does it?" Miguel asked and Danielle shot him a glare that told him
to stay out of it. He laughed softly.
" Different matter. You and Kasey shouldn't
fight over Jordan. He's not worth it."
" She didn't fight me when I told her I wasn't
coming home," he said.
" Why should she?"
" Because she loves me!"
" Exactly. She knows you, she loves you. Why
would she do something so out of character for her? You know she's stubborn and
wont give in to anything. Why would she beg for you to come home?"
Danielle asked and that silenced Miguel until they got back to the house they
shared," Will I have to drag you inside?"
" I don't think so. Buts he's going to be
asleep..."
" No, I'm not. Danielle, what did you
do?" Kasey's voice came from the darkened porch where she was sitting in
the porch swing.
" I am trying to get you and Miguel talking
again."
" We would have sorted this put by ourselves,"
she said, coming down the stairs part way to meet up with them at the bottom
stair.
" Yeah, but it would have taken a week,"
Miguel said. Kasey shot him a glare.
" You calling me stubborn?"
" And outspoken, and opinionated. What else is
there?" he asked. Danielle grinned. Good. They were fighting. Now all she
had to do was get them into their bedroom...
" You two maybe wanna take this one
inside?" she asked. Kasey and Miguel looked at her and then entered the
house.
" I'm not the one who sticks up for a drunk
friend who treats people like trash!"
" And I don't go around saying outrageous
things about above drunk friends! You over reacted to the situation tonight
Kasey!" Miguel said.
" Wait. You two. Shut up and sit down,"
Danielle ordered them. They did so, sitting at opposite sides of the room.
" What?"
" You two are going to work this one out,
understand? Or I tie you both to the bed, together, naked, until you either
make up, or die," Danielle said.
" You don't mean that."
" I don't? Try me," she said and Kasey
and Miguel glanced at each other and then at Danielle.
" Well he was being..."
" Stop! Take this into your room. I don't want
to be here when you two make up," Danielle said and Kasey and Miguel
muttered under their breaths but they went into their room. Danielle followed
them and waited until they shut the door before locking them inside. She
silently thanked her luck for finding the key on Miguel's desk. The door knob
was wriggled and then she heard Kasey.
" Unlock the door Danielle."
" You two make up. I'm going out," she
said and left them behind, laughing silently as she thought of the night they
were about to have.
*****
" She's your friend," Miguel said angrily
as he sat on the bed.
" So we're insulting friends now huh?"
Kasey asked, facing him, her back to the door, arms folded over her chest.
" I'm just saying..."
" Let's talk about your friend hmm? He got
drunk tonight Miguel. Made Danielle feel like shit. I don't like people who do
that," she said.
" He didn't mean to."
" Nice excuse but I don't buy it. He's an
adult Miguel. He knew what he was doing. He could have chosen any other night
to get drunk but no, he has to choose tonight, of all nights," Kasey said
sarcastically.
" Do we really have to bring this up
now?" Miguel asked.
" You were the one..."
" Damn, I never realized how stubborn you
were."
" I am not stubborn!" Kasey said. She
watched Miguel warily as he got to his feet and started coming towards her.
" Yes you are. Opinionated too. And
straightforward. And that’s what I love about you," Miguel said huskily,
unfolding Kasey's arms and wrapping them around his waist.
" We're supposed to be fighting Miguel,"
she said as he ran his hands down her sides and brought their bodies closer.
" Mmm, but isn't this much better?" he
asked as he lowered his lips to her neck, licking her skin and making her moan
a little.
" We still need to talk..."
" Talking can wait. This cant," he said
and slowly moved his lips over her collarbone and nibbled at her skin. He moved
his hands up underneath her pajama top and cupped her breasts, running his
thumbs over her nipples, making her arch her back. He smiled against her neck.
He loved the way he made her feel and react to his touch. There was nothing
more intoxicating than to hear her soft cries, see the way she moved while they
made love. He moved his hands from her breasts and grabbed the hem of her top
and lifted it over her head, baring her to him. He lowered his head again, this
time concentrating his lips and tongue onto her breasts and nipples. He ran his
tongue over and around one nipple and then blew softly on it, watching as it
became hard and erect. Kasey held his head to her breast, urging him on. But
Miguel wanted to continue this on the bed so he bent down and picked Kasey up,
one arm underneath her knees, another around her waist and as he carried her to
the bed, he kissed her, slowly and softly, gently biting her bottom lip, while
letting his fingers brush the curve of her breasts. He placed her on the bed
and joined her, moving over the top of her, resting his pelvis against hers,
letting her feel his rising hardness. He leaned down and kissed her again, on
her lips, then moved to her jaw, placing soft little kisses along her jaw, over
to her ear. He took her lobe into his mouth and sucked on it gently, his hands
stroking her throat and shoulders softly. He knew this drove her wild, the
different sensations of his mouth and fingers on her body at the same time. He
traced patterns just above her breasts with his fingers, ever so lightly brushing
against her nipples every now and then. Her hand were moving down to his waist,
as she tried to remove his shirt. He moved away from her and slipped it off
himself, then moved back to her, brushing his chest over her breasts lightly,
making her moan as the sensations washed over her. He kissed his way down her
throat, dragging his tongue down her windpipe, and down to her collarbone,
tasting the sweat that had already started to appear on her body. He loved to
make her squirm, make her lose complete control. His lips and tongue made their
way down to her breasts and he took one hardened nipple into her mouth, sucking
on it gently, twirling it around in his mouth, raking his teeth over it,
wringing a low moan out of her. Kasey's hands were busy at his waist, undoing
his jeans, purposely brushing against the heat between his legs. He had started
wearing button fly jeans only since starting to date Kasey, knowing how much
she loved to undo them and tease him as she did so. He had to admit that the
feeling of her hands slowly and torturously undoing the buttons was unlike any
other he had experienced. She had the buttons undone by the time he moved his
lips to her other breast and she slid her hand inside, touching him through the
silk of his boxers. He sank his teeth into her nipple as she slid her hand into
his boxers and she cried out, but not in pain, in pleasure as the exquisite
sensation washed over her and moved down to pool between her thighs. Miguel
lifted his hips, allowing Kasey to slide his jeans and boxers off. He kicked
them off, all the while her nipple still in his mouth. He pressed his hips
against her silk covered heat, feeling her wetness through the cloth. He
slipped his hands between their bodies and rubbed her through the silk, causing
her to cry out and arch her hips up, pushing her heat against him, making him
grit his teeth as his manhood pulsed achingly, demanding release. He had to
make her want him more, make her so crazy with need and longing that by the
time he sank into her, she'd be sobbing and begging for release.
" Miguel..." she said huskily and he
captured her mouth in another searing kiss that left her breathless.
" Not now baby. We still have a lot to do
before I'm finished with you.," he whispered. He slipped her pajama bottoms
off so that they were lying naked against each other. Wringing another moan out
of her. He moved off her and cupped her breasts in his hands, rubbing his
thumbs over her nipples in circular motions. Then he replaced his thumbs with
his tongue, licking and sucking at the hard nubs, transferring his attention
between both constantly until they were standing at painful attention,
sensitive enough that Kasey shivered if he ran a fingernail over them. He left
her breasts and started kissing and licking her stomach, watching as her
stomach muscles contracted underneath his ministrations. He dipped his tongue
into her belly button and then remembered the scarves he had in the dresser
drawer. He kissed each of Kasey's nipples before moving away from her.
" Miguel...?" Kasey protested when she
realized he was no longer near her. She watched him as he leaned over and
opened the drawers and pulled out several long silk scarves. Her stomach
contracted again at the thought of being tied up and unable to move under
Miguel's caresses.
" Are you game?" he asked, trailing the
tip of one of the scarves over her breasts. She smiled softly and nodded,
reaching out to him and rubbing a fingernail over his nipple.
" As long as you let me return the
favour," she said and he chuckled throatily, He gently, but firmly tied
her hands together and then to the bedpost, kissing his way down her breasts
and stomach, then her thighs and legs before tying one ankle to the end of the
bed, then the other, leaving her open and vulnerable to his hands and tongue.
Then he did something that surprised her. He moved back up her body, and
covered her eyes with one of the scarves. Now she was unable to move or see and
it aroused her beyond belief.
Miguel smiled when he saw Kasey's look of arousal.
They had never tried this before so he had been both nervous and excited at how
she would react. From her reaction and response, he knew that this was going to
be very pleasurable - for both of them. Miguel moved down her body again and
started kissing and licking her legs, stroking her skin, biting her gently. He
moved to her knee and stroked the skin behind it, watching her trying to squirm
and knowing that he had all the power over her. He kissed her thighs, running
his fingernails along the tender flesh inside her thighs. He could smell her
muskiness and longed to taste her but wanted to tease her a little longer
before he did so. So he ignored her silent pleas and moved back down to her
other leg. She moaned when he did so, and he smiled against her skin. She was
so passionate and he loved that in her. He kissed and nibbled his way up to her
thigh again, making sure that she could feel his hot breath on her. She lifted
her hips a little and cried out his name. That nearly drove him out of control,
the sound of his name on her lips but he managed to control his impulse to
thrust into her. Instead he touched her, very lightly, very gently, but just
enough to make her hips lift as she searched for more.
" Damn it Miguel..." she threatened
shakily but stopped as he placed a kiss at the core of her femininity, using
his tongue to taste her saltiness. She moaned and her breath started coming
faster and shallower. He ran his tongue around her entrance and then dipped it
inside, pushing it as far in as he could, hearing her moan raggedly and feeling
her muscles clench. God, he wanted to be inside her. But as always, her
pleasure came first. He withdrew his tongue and ran it up to her clit, sucking
and nibbling on it, moving it around in his mouth. He pushed one finger inside
her while his tongue licked and teased her clit, feeling her muscles squeeze
down on his finger. One finger was joined by another and another until he had
three fingers inside her, as far as he could push them inside. He withdrew
them, then lunged them inside again, still sucking her clit and the added
stimulation of his fingers made Kasey lift her hips up and fall over the edge,
crying out his name as she did. He withdrew his fingers and kissed her with
satisfaction, letting her taste herself.
" Do you want me?" he whispered in her
ear huskily. She shivered and nodded.
" More than anything," she said and he
kissed her again, his hand moving between their bodies as he guided himself
into her waiting entrance. He entered her smoothly with one thrust and she
moaned as the sensation of him filling her. He held himself completely still
while her muscles worked wildly, squeezing and clenching against him. He waited
until she was calm and started moving, long, slow thrusts, withdrawing himself
so that only the tip of his manhood was inside her and then plunging in again,
hard and fast. He thrust into her, again and again, feeling the pressure
building inside him, knowing that it was the same way for her when she started
to move recklessly. He took off her blindfold, needing to see her eyes when
they both reached their climax. They looked deep into each others eyes and
Miguel could feel Kasey's intimate muscles starting to clench and spasm, making
him thrust harder and faster, until they both called out and he poured himself
into her, before collapsing onto her breasts, breathing heavily. He was still
deep inside Kasey and felt the last of her spasms end as he kissed her softly.
*****
" You like?" Miguel whispered after their
breathing returned to normal and he had untied her. They were lying in a spoon
fashion, Miguel's arms were wrapped around her waist and he was speaking softly
in her ear.
" When I get my breath back, I'll show you
just how much I did like that," she said and he laughed, as he stroked her
hair and kissed her ear softly.
" I'll look forward to it then," he said
and she turned around to face him. His hair was messy and he smelled like sweat
and sex, an intoxicating mix. She kissed him softly and ran her hands down to
his chest and rubbed his nipples gently. He caught his breath as she raked her
fingernails over the tiny nubs, making them stand on end. She laughed throatily
as she saw and felt his response to her teasing. She rolled Miguel onto his
back and leaned over him, letting her hair tease his chest as she licked and
sucked at his nipples. He groaned and ran his hands through her hair, bringing
her head closer to his body, urging her to go on. She circled her tongue around
his nipples and drew one into her mouth, sucking and teasing it, while running
her fingers down his stomach until she reached the part of him that had been
inside her only moments before. He was already half hard, and getting harder by
the second. He was all steel and satin, heat and fire. She kissed and licked her
way down his stomach, circling the indentation that was his belly button, then
moving down further, kissing and nibbling the inside if his thighs, staring
right at his manhood which by now, was hard and pulsing with need. She kissed
the tip of it, running her tongue lightly around the head of it, making his
hips arch just a tiny bit. There was so much she wanted to do to him so she
stopped touching him, stopped kissing him and moved completely away from him.
He looked at her through glazed eyes and started to protest but stopped when he
saw what she was doing. She tied his hands together and then to the bedpost and
did the same with his ankles. Then she wrapped the blindfold around his eyes
and moved completely away from the bed. He couldn't move an awful lot and
couldn't feel her near him so he started to move his head, searching for her.
" Kasey?" he asked, his voice strained.
" I'll be right back sweetie," she said
to him and went over to her lingerie drawer to remove the key to the bedroom
door she had in there. She unlocked the door and headed to the kitchen, leaving
Miguel wondering where she was going and what she was doing.
*****
Kasey came back within minutes, a cup in one hand,
a small bottle in the other. She shut and locked the door again and Miguel's
head lifted up at the sound.
" What on earth are you doing, leaving me like
this?" he asked teasingly and she giggled as she sat on the bed next to
him, placing the cup and bottle on the bedside table. She leaned over and
captured his mouth in a kiss.
" Prolonging the torture," she said and
Miguel groaned.
" What have you got in store for me, you
little witch?" he asked as Kasey let her hair tickle him again. The feel
of her soft, silky hair running over the tip of his straining manhood made
Miguel groan and Kasey laugh huskily.
" Oh, just a few little things," she said
softly and reached into the cup and pull out one of the small, square cubes
out. She placed it on Miguel's nipple and he jumped, crying out as she ran the
ice around his nipple, watching as it puckered and as goosebumps broke out on
Miguel's skin. She blew on the icy cold nipple and enjoyed the look of arousal
on Miguel's face. She could only imagine what the feelings were like and she
enjoyed giving them to him. She ran the ice around his other nipple, its
reaction being the same as its twin. The ice had melted by this time, from
Miguel's intense body heat, so Kasey had to get another piece to use on his
stomach. She ran the ice around his belly button and dipped it inside, leaving
a wet icy trail behind it. Then she ran the ice along the inside of his thighs,
just letting some tiny drops of the water fall onto his manhood, causing Miguel
to arch and cry out.
" You couldn't have warned me about
that?" Miguel asked breathlessly and Kasey laughed as she popped the piece
of ice into her mouth and bit down on it.
" Now what fun is there in that?" she
asked teasingly.
" That's true," he agreed. Kasey smiled
and popped another piece of ice into her mouth and leaned over his throbbing
length and placed her cold lips around the tip of it. She pushed the piece of
ice forward with her tongue and ran it along the tip of him, causing Miguel to
groan and push himself into her mouth. Kasey accepted him readily, keeping a
firm hold on his hips so he couldn't move too fast, still letting the ice twirl
around in her mouth, running along his length, covering him in icy water. She
moved her head up and down, taking him all the way into her mouth before
withdrawing all the way out again. She raked her teeth very gently over the
notch at the top of his length and he groaned, trying to push himself further
into her mouth but she managed to hold him down.
" Patience Miguel," Kasey said and he
groaned.
" I need to be inside you now," he said
huskily and she ran her fingers over him. His length jerked and seemed to grow
even harder, despite the fact that there was still icy water on him. It was now
time for the other thing she had in mind for him. She picked up the small
bottle and opened the cap, pouring some o the slightly heated liquid into her
palm. She wrapped her hand around him and started stroking him, slowly,
methodically, letting the warmth of the liquid create even more sensations on
his cold flesh. The feel of Kasey's hand on him and the exquisite sensations of
cold merging hot, was almost enough for Miguel to lose control but he manage to
wait.
" I need to be inside you," he muttered
again and Kasey smiled. He was so impatient! But this time, she heeded his call
and positioned herself over the tip of his hot straining length, teasing him
with the entrance to the place he wanted to bury himself in so deeply. Kasey
held herself very still over him, just letting the tip of him sit inside her.
He tried to push up into her but couldn't move very far with the scarves still
on him. Kasey slowly slid down onto him, until he was buried deep inside her.
He groaned when she started to move slowly, riding him, while leaning over his
chest, letting her hardened nipples rub against his chest. She removed the
blindfold at that point. They stared into each other's eyes and Kasey's
movements grew faster and their cries were coming in tandem. Kasey arched,
taking him in just a little bit deeper as he exploded and his seed emptied into
her. She joined him soon after, her muscles squeezing and clenching as she
collapsed onto his chest, breathing heavily, hearing his heart beat hard and
fast.
*****
" So how did you end up back here anyway? I
thought you weren't planning on coming back home tonight," Kasey asked as
she and Miguel laid in bed together. Her head was resting on his chest, her ear
pressed to his heart and his arm was around her shoulders, his fingers just
lightly brushing against her breasts.
" Danielle came over to Jordan's house and
grabbed me by my bloody ear! She dragged me out to the car, if you can believe
that," Miguel said and he sounded so disgusted that Kasey had to laugh.
" That's the Danielle I'm friends with,"
she said," We'll have to thank her later on."
" For what? Bringing me home so we could have
the most memorable night of our lives or for interfering?" Miguel asked
and Kasey punched him in his stomach, as best she could.
" She helped us out, didn't she? If she hadn't
of gone over there, you'd be drunk off your ass right now and would have missed
out on some of the best sex we've ever had!"
" Making love sweetie, we just made
love," Miguel reminded her as he kissed her again.
" Yeah well just remember to thank her for
this wonderful opportunity," Kasey mumbled as she moved down his body.
" Where is she anyway? Do you think she stayed
in or took off?"
" Knowing Danielle she would have gone out.
Probably driving around looking for some coffee place that could be open at
this time of night," Kasey said and there was no more talk after that.
*****
Danielle drove into a parking space of the small
but obviously busy cafe and got out of the car. Damn Kasey and Miguel for
taking over the house like that. She couldn't stay in there knowing what they
were doing. So she had gotten out, driven around for awhile until she had
spotted this cafe. She needed some caffeine. So she was here, walking towards
the cafe, just about ready to kill both Kasey and Miguel for causing her to
leave a nice warm house during winter. She stepped inside the cafe and
immediately felt the heat. She sighed in relief. This was good. She could sit
in here, drink a cup of coffee and get warm before she headed back to the house
where she figured by that time, they would be asleep. Danielle smiled. She was
happy that her friends were back together. She hated seeing them fight.
" Can I help you there?" the waitress
asked Danielle as she sat down at a table.
" Just a cup of coffee thanks," she said
and the waitress nodded, scribbling the order down as she walked away. Danielle
looked around the cafe, realizing that she was alone here with only one other
person. He smiled at her as she looked at him and she smiled back. He seemed
harmless enough.
" What on earth are you doing here at 1am in
the morning?" he asked, leaning over the seat that separated their booths.
" My friend and her boyfriend needed some time
alone so I started driving around and decided to stop for some coffee before I
head back to their place," she said and he laughed.
" Ah so you're not from here I take it?"
" No. I live in Canada. But if my friend has
anything to do with it I'll be living here before too long," Danielle
said.
" Very persuasive friend?"
" She can be. I'm Danielle by the way."
" Anthony. Would you like to sit with me? Save
us drinking our coffee alone," he said and she nodded, moving to his
booth.
" I could ask you the same thing Anthony. Why
are you here at 1am in the morning?" she asked him and he laughed.
" If I told you, I'd have to kill you!"
he joked and then shrugged," I tried to go to my friends place but he must
have been in bed because he didn't answer my knocks. So I decided to stop in
here and grab a drink before heading back him. Nothing terribly exciting,"
he said and she nodded. The waitress brought her coffee over just then and she
accepted it gratefully," So how long are you in Boston for?"
" Well, after Christmas as a visit. But as I
said, probably here for good if my friend gets her way."
" Would it be so bad to live here?"
Anthony asked.
" No. I don't think so. It's a wonderful city
and I have friends here. I wouldn't mind living here," she said and
Anthony nodded, looking thoughtfully at her.
" Hey, listen. Are you involved with anyone at
the moment?" Anthony's question surprised her and the sip of coffee she
had just taken into her mouth ended up going down her windpipe and she started
coughing as she stared at him in surprise.
" Where did that come from?" she asked
once she was able to.
" You just seem like someone I would like to
see my friend with," he said simply and she stared at him as though he had
lost his mind.
" You barely know me! I could be some psycho
and you're sentencing your friend to a grisly death," she said and Anthony
laughed.
" I have a gut feeling about you. I don't
think you are a psycho. So are you interested?" he asked.
" No. No way. After the man I had an
experience with earlier tonight there is no way I want to experience another
Boston man any time soon," she said defiantly.
" Are you sure?" he asked and she
nodded," Okay then. Would you be interested in meeting me for breakfast in
the morning?"
" What is this, some kind of set up?" she
asked, watching him suspiciously.
" Me? A set up? I would never think of
it," he said. She eyed him warily but ended up giving in. It was far too
late to think properly. She just wanted to sleep.
" Fine. Where and what time?" she asked
and he smiled.
" How about right here at eight? And I swear
that this is not a set up okay?" he said. Danielle still didn't believe
him but what could she do? He was pretty nice and having breakfast with a nice
man was going to be a change from having dinner with a not so nice one.
*****
" Damn it I cant believe I let you talk me
into this Tony," Jordan said a little agitatedly the next morning.
" Its only breakfast with her J. Its not like
you're gonna marry her! She's real nice, well worth the time and effort of this
breakfast," Tony said and smiled at his friend's sour glance. Okay, maybe
he should feel guilty about what he was about to do but damn it, it was time
Jordan started dating again!
" Fine. But you aren't planning on taking off
are you?" Jordan eyed him suspiciously and Tony pushed aside the twinge of
guilt. He saw Danielle pull up in the parking lot and hid a smile as he
answered Jordan.
" Nope. I am going to be here the whole
time," he said just as Danielle walked into the cafe. She saw him and
headed over, not even realizing that it was Jordan sitting across from Anthony.
" Hi Anthony," at the sound of Danielle's
familiar voice, Jordan turned around and stared at her in surprise. This was
the woman Tony had been raving about all morning?" You!"
" You two know each other?" Tony asked,
looking from one stunned face to the other.
" This was the man I was telling you about
earlier Anthony," Danielle said through clenched teeth.
" This is that woman I was telling you about
Tony. She walked out on me in a restaurant," Jordan said.
" Well then I won't need to bother with
introductions then, will I?" Tony asked and received two glares for his
remark.
" You said this wasn't a set up,"
Danielle said.
" Yeah well I lied. I just thought you two
would be perfect for one another. Why can't you two just give this a second
chance?" Tony asked.
" Because she is unreasonable and
opinionated," Jordan muttered.
" Because he is a fall down drunk!"
Danielle shot back and Tony held up both hands, chuckling at the obvious
tension between the two of them.
" Hey. Slow down. Keep me out of this. This is
just a friendly breakfast okay? Let's just make believe that you two have never
met before," Tony said as Danielle sat down.
" That's a bit hard considering last night is
burned into my memory," she said and Jordan glared at her.
" You were the one who left Danielle. You
never even..."
" Stop it right now!" Tony's voice became
raised and frustrated.
" She..."
" He..."
" Fine. That's it. You two deal with this. I'm
leaving right now," Tony said and left the booth. He was gone so quickly
that neither Jordan nor Danielle had time to argue. They stared at each other
for awhile and then Jordan smiled, reluctantly.
" Do you think that he planned it like this?
Or did he just take the opportunity?" he asked and Danielle had to smile.
She had been thinking the same thing.
" I think he planned on leaving us, but maybe
not exactly like this," she admitted and he laughed.
" Mmm thought so," he said and looked at
her," I should apologize for last night."
" Yes, you should," she said and he
looked taken aback at her directness.
" No wonder you and Kasey are friends. Both of
you have that directness quality. So, I am sorry about what happened last night.
I did not get drunk because of you. I got drunk partly because of the dinner
with you and partly because of another reason. And I should have either
cancelled the dinner or not drink as much but I wasn't thinking about how my
behaviour would affect you. I should have thought ahead but I didn't and I am
sorry about that," he said.
" It didn't only affect me Jordan. Miguel and
Kasey fought over you! They should never have had to do that. Its wrong to make
such a wonderful couple fight over you," Danielle said and Jordan nodded.
" I know that and I am going to apologize for
that. What happened after you dragged Miguel back home?"
" What do you think happened?" Danielle
asked and Jordan laughed. My god! This man was a totally different person when
he smiled and laughed!
" I don't even want to think about that."
" That's why I left as soon as I locked them
in the bedroom. They were asleep when I got home, well at least I think they
were and they were still in bed when I left to come here this morning."
" Danielle, how can I make last night up to
you?" Jordan surprised her.
" I don't know Jordan. How can you make it up
to me?" she was curious as to what his answer would be.
" Let me take you out. I'll take you out
tonight and I can show you some of my favourite places in Boston. Miguel said
that Kasey wanted you to stay here so we have to show you what Boston has to
offer," Jordan said. Danielle stared at him for along time, wondering what
his motive was.
" I don't know Jordan..."
" Please Danielle. Let me make it up to you.
And if I don't do this, Kasey will hate me for the rest of her life and you
will as well. Let me do this one thing," Jordan was begging her? Damn, how
could she resist?
" Okay. But nothing fancy okay? I just want
something simple and quiet. I'm not into these expensive restaurants,"
Danielle said and Jordan nodded.
" Deal. I'll pick you up at Miguel and Kasey's
at six. Wear warm clothes," he said and stood up.
" Not eating with me huh?" she asked
teasingly.
" I would but I thought you wouldn't want em
to," he said, almost hesitantly. She threw him a withering glance and he
immediately sat down again. The rest of the morning was spent with light talk
and easy comments about the weather, about Christmas, about Miguel and Kasey -
everything except Terrie.
*****
" So is this what you expected?" Jordan
asked Danielle later that night. He had taken her to Frog Pond, the most
popular place for ice skating.
" No. But it's perfect. I haven't been ice
skating here yet," she said as they sat down to lace up their skates. Once
that was done they headed out onto the ice. They skated around the pond several
times before giving each other races. By the time Danielle called a halt to
their racing, she was breathless with laughter. Jordan had fallen over as many times
as she had and now she was discovering muscles she never even knew existed.
" Ready to go home yet?" he asked as he
caught her around the waist.
" One more time around? Slowly this
time?" she asked. This time with Jordan, seeing him lose that grief stricken
persona was making her change his mind about him. And now, she wanted to be
held in his arms as the skated around the pond one last time before going home.
" Sure. I need to catch my breath too,"
he said and they started skating slowly around. There weren't many people left
by this time, only a few couples taking advantage of no kids and teenagers.
Danielle leaned towards Jordan's body, enjoying the sensation is his hands on
her and his body so close to hers," Better?"
" Much," she murmured as her heart beat
slowed down.
" You feel so good in my arms Danielle,"
she heard him say softly in her ear. She looked up at him in surprise and found
him looking down at her, his eyes full of warmth and need. They were so
engrossed in each other that neither of them saw the thin patch of ice until it
was too late.
*****
" Don't you have anything else to wear?"
Danielle asked him. He was holding out a pajama top and that was it.
" No I don't. I told you already. All my
clothes are at mums waiting to be washed. This is it. Just this pair of pajamas
that have never been worn," he said, still holding out the top to her.
" I just don't believe you. Prove it to
me," she said and he sighed.
" Fine. Go and have a look in my wardrobe, in
the bathroom, in my drawers. You have a choice. You either wear this top or go
naked. Now, I don't mind the naked one but..." Jordan's brown eyes glinted
merrily as Danielle snatched the top out of his hands. She smoothed her hand
along the material and realized it was silk.
" If you're lying to me..."
" Go and have a look if you don't believe me.
Go and get changed Danielle before you freeze to death," he said and
started unbuckling his jeans. Danielle stared at him and then fled, locking
herself into the bathroom where she quickly stripped and showered, warming
herself. She dried herself and slipped on the top. It came to mid-thigh but she
still felt weird wearing it. Flicking back her head determinedly, she left the
sanctuary of the bathroom and headed into the living room where Jordan was
building a fire. He looked up at her when she entered and she stopped still at
the sight of his naked chest and silk encased bottoms. Damn it, he looked even
better like this! His back was smooth and tanned and his chest...wow was the
only word she could think of to describe it. She eyed his flat lean stomach and
noticed the trail of hair that ran don from his belly button to beneath the
dangerously low pajama bottoms. She sucked in a breath when she saw his
reaction to her intense gaze and her eyes flew up to meet his.
" Does my reaction to you surprise you?"
he asked softly, dangerously.
" Not really," she said.
" I'm happy to hear you say that," he
said and stalked towards her, like a leopard stalks his prey. His eyes were
glinting and the firelight played with his features.
" Why?" she asked, standing her ground.
" Because I am about to make up last night to
you," he said and reached out a hand to undo the top button of the pajama
top.
" Do you think this is a wise idea?"
Danielle asked.
" I think this is a very wise idea," he
said huskily as his fingers undone a second button.
" Hmm, so do I," she said. Why the hell
not? It wasn't as if she didn't feel something for this man. Just the feel of
the light pressure of his fingers undoing her buttons was enough to send her
pulse skittering wildly. His fingers undone a third and fourth button and he
started to spread the material wide, baring her skin to his eyes. His hand
reached for the fifth button, the one that would bare the tops of her breasts
to him when the phone rang.
*****
Jordan swore as the phone rang again. He let go of
Danielle's shirt and snatched up the received of the phone, barking a sharp
hello.
" Damn it Miguel! What the hell are you
calling me for now?" he asked and Danielle had to stifle a giggle. Jordan
sounded very very frustrated - and just as aroused.
" Knowing Kasey she knew just when to call,
just to bug the hell out of us," she whispered to him as she ran a hand
across his chest. Jordan swallowed hard when her hand rested on the smooth skin
above the waist of the pajama pants.
" Can we talk about this tomorrow? I'm kind
of...busy right now," he said and swallowed hard again when Danielle
dropped her hand to rub the front of the pants softly. The response she got to
that made her smile.
" Tell him to go away Jordan," Danielle
whispered as she dropped to her knees and started kissing his warm lean
stomach, running her tongue around his belly button and delving it into the
tiny hole.
" Miguel, call me tomorrow. Late tomorrow.
Why? I'm busy damn it!" Jordan said frustratedly biting back a groan when
he felt Danielle slowly undo the drawstring on his pants and let them drop to
his ankles. He felt a little out of sorts, talking on the phone and having
Danielle do these things to him at the same time. He hung up the phone quickly,
just as Danielle touched the tip of her tongue to the top of his hardness, the
touch so light and feathery that it almost brought him to his knees. He hastily
picked up the receiver and placed it on its side, not willing to risk Miguel
calling again - not willing to risk anyone calling and interrupting them.
" Good man. You got rid of him. Now its time
for your...reward," Danielle whispered, her breath hot against him. She
ran a fingernail gently down his length and watched in pleasure as it jerked
and twitched, growing even harder. He groaned a breathless groan that aroused
her more than she thought possible. She wrapped a hand around the base of him
and brought it to her mouth, licking and kissing his length, feeling his heat
under her lips. She wrapped her lips around him and started letting him thrust
in and out of her mouth gently, lightly, loving the feel of him. His hands were
in her hair, gripping tightly, urging her to continue but wanting her to stop
so her could slide into her, making her feel the way he was feeling. She sucked
on him, running her tongue along his length, and started to move her hand to
counter effect the movements of his hips and her mouth, wringing a low moan
from him. He didn't know how much longer he would be able to stand, but knew
that there was no way on earth he would stop her now. He jerked when he felt
her teeth scraping his hardness, gently. God this was good. He started
thrusting his hips harder, wanting to go deeper but being stopped by her hand.
The pressure of her mouth intensified and she caught her teeth on the ridge
just below the head of him and tugged on it gently, and with that last tug he
lost control. He thrust deeply into her mouth, deep into her throat, moaning as
he exploded into her mouth and she licked him clean. He dropped to his knees
when she finally removed her mouth and hand, breathing heavily as he watched
her with satisfied eyes.
" Damn," he said breathlessly and she
smiled at him.
" You like?" she asked cheekily and he
laughed.
" Very much. But you should have waited,"
he said, kicking his pants away from him and reaching out to her to undo the
remaining two buttons. He stripped the shirt from her body and groaned when he
saw she was wearing nothing underneath. Damn if he had've known that, there
would have been no way on earth they would have lasted this long. He stood
again and helped her to her feet, leading her over closer to the fire. In front
of the fire he had made a make shift bed of a couple of pillows and a doona so
he dropped down onto it, tugging gently on her hand. Danielle dropped beside
him.
" Waited for what?" she finally asked as
he lowered her to the pillows.
" This," he murmured and kissed her,
softly at first but it intensified as his hands started working their way down
her body. First he started stroking her breasts, thumbing the nipples, rubbing
them until they were hard little points standing at erect attention. He ran a
finger down through the valley between her breasts and underneath them, then
over her nipples. Her stomach contracted when he placed a big warm hand on it,
just above her aching heat. He lifted his head and stared into her eyes as he
moved parted her thighs and ran a finger around her clit, making her shiver in
awareness. All he had done to her so far was kiss her and now this. And yet her
body was reacting as though it knew the joy and pleasures this man could give
it. He started kissing her jaw, moving over to her ear, sucking on the lobe,
tugging and biting it gently. Then he moved his attention to her neck, running
his tongue along it, biting her skin softly, kissing and licking her neck and
shoulders, his hand still lazily tracing her femininity. Her hips were moving
slightly, her back arching as his lips moved to her breast. He took one nipple
in his mouth, drawing it deep, tonguing it, then blowing softly on it, the
contrast of the two feelings bringing goosebumps to her body. He laughed softly
when she gripped his hair and pulled his mouth to her other nipple, where he paid
it the same attention as its twin. Once her nipples were hard and aching, he
left them and started placing soft gentle kisses along her ribs and stomach,
dipping his tongue into her belly button, biting the skin gently. Then he
looked at her and grinned, before lifting her legs up and placing one over each
shoulder. His fingers gently parted her and she gasped when he placed an open
mouthed kiss at her entrance, moving his tongue inside her. She used muscles
she had never know that existed to squeeze his tongue as he thrust it in and
out of her. Her hips started moving again but he held her still as he licked
and nibbled her, taking her clit into his mouth and sucking in it softly,
tugging it and sending feelings of arousal coursing through her. He added his
fingers, thrusting two in and out of her as his tongue worked on her clit and
soon she came in a blinding climax that left her shaking and crying out his
name wildly, arching her hips up and into his face.
He gently removed her legs and kissed his way up
her body, placing soft kisses on each nipple, before finally capturing her
mouth in another kiss so deep that she could taste her passion on his lips.
" You like?" he gently mocked her earlier
question and she managed a breathless laugh.
" I like," she whispered and he smiled.
" Good. Its not over yet though," he said
and she smiled.
" I certainly hope not!" she teased him
and watched him lean over her, kissing her softly as he placed the tip of his
manhood at her entrance. She wrapped her legs around his waist and arched her
hips up, trying to get him to enter her but he chuckled and pulled away so that
he was no longer touching her. She moaned and he laughed again. He rested the
tip of his manhood just inside her this time and once again pulled away. She
was starting to have a hard time breathing. Damn it why was he teasing her like
this? He came back to her, this time entering a little further into her and
once again pulling away. She moaned and thrust her hips up, desperately wanting
to feel him inside her. He came back to her and thrust more of his length into
her but it still wasn't all of him. He kept doing this, entering a little of
him in her at a time and then moving away from her. Finally she let out a
frustrated " Damn it either be all the way inside me or not at all! Just
stop teasing me!" and with that he thrust heavily into her, wringing a low
moan from her as she felt him fill her fully. He remained completely still and
waited until her hips started moving again, ever so slightly. When they did, he
started thrusting into her, hard and fast, sometimes slow and long. It didn't
matter if he was slow or fast, he was still doing it better than she had ever
imagined.
Then suddenly, she could feel her climax starting.
It started deep inside her, where the tip of him was thrusting into her and
moved outwards, coursing through her body until it exploded and she cried out
his name. She felt him jerk and twitch inside her and then heard him call out
her name as he poured his seed into her. He collapsed onto her breasts,
breathing heavily, still feeling her inner muscles spasming deep inside her.
*****
He was snoring softly when she moved him gently to
the side and got up from where they had fallen asleep. She looked down at him,
sprawled in his stomach, his arms underneath his head and smiled. She knew he
would be good but never in her wildest dreams had she imagined he would be that
good. And she didn't regret doing this so soon after meeting him. Now all they
had to do was talk about Terrie. She knew what she wanted from this - it was
all up to him now.
*****
The next morning Danielle was awoken by a Jordan
shaking her shoulder. She rolled over and stretched, smiling a little when she
saw he was fully dressed.
" Good morning," she said huskily. When he
didn't do anything, not even smile, she frowned and grabbed the blankets,
holding them up against her body," Jordan?"
" Danielle, I have to go. I have...a meeting
to go to," he said stiffly and she frowned again. What the hell was he
doing?
" A meeting? I don't believe you," she
said and he sighed, running a hand through his hair. It was then that she
noticed he looked troubled.
" Don't believe me. But I have to go. Can you
please get dressed so I can take you back to Kasey and Miguel's?" he said
and left the room. She stared after him, confused at why he was acting this
way. Hadn't they shared something special last night? He was treating her as
though she was nothing more than a one night...oh god. She wasn't going to be
just another one night stand, was she? As she dressed, she pondered this
dilemma. Obviously something was bothering Jordan. And he obviously wasn't
going to tell her what it was. She only hoped that he wasn't going to drop her
off and say' Nice knowing you' and never see her again.
Once she was dressed, she entered the kitchen to
find Jordan sitting at the table, a cup of coffee in front of him. He looked up
at her when she entered but averted his eyes.
" I'm ready," she said and he nodded,
standing up and walking over to the sink. She watched as he poured the coffee
down the sink and rinse out the cup. All actions to ignore her, she knew it.
" Let's go then," he finally said and
turned away from her, walking out the back door and into the garage. He got
into the car, pressing the automatic door opener as he did so and Danielle got
into the passenger side as the door slowly slid up.
" Jordan..." she started to say but was
stopped when he turned on the radio and turned it up loud. She stared at him in
surprise. What did he think he was doing? Who did he think he was dealing with?
She wasn't some cheap tart he could fuck and then fling to the side! But he
wasn't willing to talk. So she was going to give him that satisfaction. Make
him think that she was okay with it. But damn it...he was being completely
unreasonable here.
*****
" He did what?" Kasey stared at her
friend in disbelief.
" He said 'I'll see you around sometime'. Can
you believe that? What does he think I am? Some one night stand he's never
going to see again? If he hadn't driven away so fast he would have known
exactly what I thought of him! Damn it! He treated me like trash!"
Danielle said angrily. Kasey stared at her, anger building inside her.
" Damn it I'm gonna kick his ass for that. He
can't treat you like that and get away with it! I'm going to call Miguel right
now and..."
" No. You and Miguel just made up. You two
fought in the first place over Jordan. I don't want you two to do that again.
Jordan Knight is not worth it. This is my problem. I'll deal with it the best
way I know how."
" And how are you going to do that?"
" Give me some time. I'm sure I can think of
something," Danielle said and Kasey sighed.
" I still think I should call Miguel. Maybe he
could talk to Jordan and see what was wrong," Kasey said.
" Kasey..." Danielle warned.
" What?" she asked defensively but she
had a smile on her face," So I'm protective!"
" Ha! I'll believe that's the reason when you
go back to Australia! I think you just like fighting with Miguel for the make
up sessions!" Danielle said and laughed when Kasey blushed," I
thought so."
" So I like what Miguel does. And that's not
the only reason! Miguel and Jordan talk about everything. If I just told
Miguel..."
" No."
" He'd be able to..."
" No!"
" Please?!"
" How many times do I have to say no? This is
something I have to deal with myself. And if I find out that you and Miguel got
involved, I swear that I will never move to Boston!" Danielle threatened
and Kasey held up her hands in surrender.
" Fine. Whatever you say! But I swear, he
still acts like you were nothing more than a one night stand I will kick his
ass!" Kasey said defiantly.
*****
" My god man are you crazy! What the hell were
you thinking?" Miguel asked in disbelief. He couldn't believe that Jordan
would do that sort of thing.
" I treated her like a one night stand Miguel.
Didn't you hear me the first time?"
" I heard you. I just didn't know whether or
not I should believe you! How could you do that?"
" I panicked okay? I woke up with Danielle in
my arms and all I could think of was Terrie! How could I act like everything
was okay after that?" Jordan asked.
" Damn it. You could have acted a bit more
responsible! Instead of acting as though you couldn't wait to get Danielle out
of your house! Did you even try to talk to her about it?" Miguel asked.
" Hell no! How do you think she would feel if
I told her that when I woke up that morning I had another woman on my
mind?"
" Probably a hell of a lot better than she
does now, thinking you want nothing more to do with her! Damn it, she's
probably with Kasey right now plotting your downfall! You're beginning to worry
me again Jordan!"
" Hell, I'm beginning to worry myself Miguel!
I'm beginning to feel things for Danielle that I haven't felt in a long time.
Things I never even felt when I was with Terrie. And that's scaring me,"
Jordan admitted lowly and Miguel stared at his friend, unsure of what to say or
do. He had never been through anything like Jordan. He had found the woman he
was going to spend his life with, whereas Jordan still hadn't.
" Maybe that's because what you feel for
Danielle isn't just a passing attraction," that's right Miguel, go with
the obvious!
" You don't think I know that? Damn, that's
what's scaring me! Terrie has only been gone six months. How can I already be
feeling this way about another woman? I told Terrie that I would love her
forever. And here I am, on the verge of falling in love with another woman. I
feel as though I'm cheating on her! Can you imagine how lousy I feel right
now?" Jordan asked and Miguel sighed. Shit. What was he going to do now?
*****
" I'm going to the studio," Danielle
announced.
" Why?"
" To talk to Jordan, that's why! I need to do
it before I drive myself crazy! Maybe he had a reason for what he did this
morning. Maybe he doesn't. Hell, I don't care! I just want to know why he did
it!" Danielle said.
" Danielle, you think that's a wise idea?
You're still upset. He's probably not in the best mood..."
" Now is the perfect time Kasey. While his
defenses are down, I'll get in there and get the truth...before I tell him
where to go!" she said and grabbed the keys. Kasey followed her out to the
car, wrapping her arms around her body, trying to keep herself warm.
" Just don't say anything you'll regret later
on," she said and Danielle nodded.
" I'll think very carefully about what I'll
say to him. But he's gonna be damn lucky if I don't hit him!" Danielle
said and drove off, towards the studio. Kasey sighed and went back inside. She
knew that Danielle would kill her if she ever found out what she was going to
do, but she had to warn Miguel. So she dialed the number of the studio where
Miguel and Jordan were and waited for someone to answer. When they did she
asked to be put through to Miguel. Several moments later, his voice came over
the line.
" Hello?"
" Miguel, Danielle is on her way over there
right now. And she's not happy," Kasey said and he sighed. She could just
see him running a hand through his hair and smiled. She loved that about him.
" Damn. And Jordan just left," he said.
" He did? Where did he go?"
" The cemetery."
*****
Danielle pulled up outside the studio and saw
Miguel standing just outside the door. He was obviously waiting for someone and
when he started walking towards her, she knew that Kasey had called him.
" He's not here Danielle," Miguel said as
she rolled down her window.
" Well where is he?" she asked and he
looked as though he wasn't going to tell her" Tell me Miguel.
Please."
" Are you going to kill him?"
" Now why would I do that? I may just harm him
a little but not actual death. He's not worth going to jail for," she said
through clenched teeth and Miguel smiled a little.
" He went to the cemetery."
" To see Terries grave?" Danielle asked
and Miguel nodded. She sighed," I can't go out there. He needs to be alone
out there..."
" Go out there Danielle. Maybe then you'll
find out why he acted the way he did this morning," Miguel said and
started walking back towards the studio.
" Go home to Kasey Miguel. She's waiting for
you," she called out teasingly and he turned back towards her and grinned.
" Where do you think I'm headed?"
*****
Jordan stood near the grave, looking at the
headstone. He hadn't been out here for a couple of weeks. But it was being
looked after by the groundsmen and the flowers that he had ordered to be
delivered here every day where here. He bent down and picked one of the roses
from the bunch and breathed in its sweet perfume, closing his eyes and seeing
Terrie in front of him as he did so.
" Well Terrie, you said that if I ever needed
to talk to you, all I had to do was come out here. I'm here. And I need to
talk. Need to tell you what's been happening. Though I have a feeling you know.
But I'd feel better if I told you out loud. But the problem is, I don’t know
where to start," he said softly, kneeling down next to her grave. He
laughed dryly," Well it seems I'm going back six months here! Isn’t this
where I was last time?" But the laugh didn't last long and he was sober
again soon. He bowed his head and sighed," Terrie, honey. You know how
much I love you. You know how much you mean to me. When you died I wanted to
die as well. And until what happened, I thought I was headed that way. But then
you appeared and its like, I knew then you didn't want me to give up on life.
It was hard for me to accept that you were gone but I've done it. Well, in some
ways I have. But sometimes I am reminded of you and it's at the most
inopportune times! Like the other night, Miguel and his girlfriend
Kasey...you'd like Kasey Terrie. You really would. She's outspoken, stubborn...everything
you were! I think you and her would get along real well there. Anyway, Miguel
and Kasey invited me out to dinner with Kasey's friend Danielle. And I was
really looking forward to it...until your friend Gina showed up. When she heard
about you, it wasn't nice what she said. I guess after that I didn't feel much
like going out. So I started drinking. Again. Yeah, I think I know what you'd
be saying right now. Drinking doesn't help! Danielle said that self same thing.
Anyway, I was pretty drunk when Danielle arrived and I guess I didn't make that
great of an impression on her because she and Kasey left Miguel and I at the
restaurant. Boy were they pissed!" he said and laughed as he remembered
the look on Miguel's face when Kasey had walked out on him.
" But Danielle and I went out last night. We
had a great time. We went ice skating and for the first time since you died, I
felt human again. I'm sure you know what happened next, we made love. It was
pretty amazing. Up until Danielle, every woman was just for sex. With her, it
was making love. I went to sleep with her in my arms, woke up with her in my
arms. And that's where everything started to go wrong. I was reminded of you.
Damn, I know that I shouldn't have but I couldn't help it! I panicked and I
treated Danielle badly. I know that I shouldn't have but I didn't know any
other way to react. I dropped her home and then left her. She probably hates me
again. I wouldn't blame her but Terrie, hon, don't get upset, but I think I
just may be falling in love with her. She's so wonderful. Really full of life
and just an amazing person. I can really see myself with her in forty years!
But the problem is, I don't know how you would feel about this. It's not even
been a year since you died and here I am thinking about forever with another
woman. So Terrie, if you're listening right now, I really would appreciate some
help here. Some kind of sign that you wouldn't mind if I wanted to be with
Danielle," Jordan waited, for something. Maybe she would appear to him
again. But there was nothing, only the lightly falling snow. He sighed and
stood up, wiping at the cold wet patched on his knees," Terrie, I just
wanted you to know this okay? I just need help on this one. I don't want to
screw it up anymore than I already have. Although it may just be a little too
late." And with that Jordan walked away from the grave, never seeing the
figure that stood behind the tree, her hand over her mouth as tears welled in
her eyes.
*****
" Damn it," Miguel mumbled. He and Kasey
sat up and straightened their clothes as a knock sounded on the front door.
Kasey grinned as she buttoned her shirt up.
" We really need to get away for a little
while," she said as she stood and zipped her jeans up. Miguel laughed as
he kissed her and went to answer the door.
" After Christmas baby," he called out
and opened the door," Jordan. I should have known it was you."
" Did I interrupt something?" he asked
cheekily as he stepped inside and Miguel glared at him as Kasey came around the
corner of the room.
" Its you," she said shortly.
" Oh oh. Am I still in your bad books?"
Jordan asked teasingly, trying to get her to smile but she wouldn't and he
frowned at her.
" Bad books? Mister, if you weren't Miguel's
friend I would...damn I would seriously injure you!" she said and left the
two men standing in the hall, surprise on their faces.
" Danielle told her?" Jordan asked and
Miguel shrugged.
" I guess she did. Cuz she certainly wouldn't
be mad at you for the other night still. Did you run into Danielle out at the
cemetery?" Miguel asked, changing subjects. He'd go and talk to Kasey in a
minute.
" Danielle? No. Why?" Jordan asked,
surprised.
" Oh, she came to the studio looking for you
and I sent her out there. She obviously didn't make it," Miguel said, a
frown marring his face as he looked at the door way Kasey had disappeared
through.
" Go after her," Jordan said and Miguel
glanced at him.
" She'll be fine," he said uneasily.
" Remember the other night? Go after her.
Don't be a stubborn fool. Don't make the mistakes I did," he said and
Miguel sighed.
" She's stubborn. She won't want to talk right
now anyway..."
" Miguel..." Jordan warned and he
laughed.
" Okay okay. Will you be fine for like a
couple of minutes?" he asked as he started walking of. Jordan waved him
away and smiled sadly as he watched Miguel disappear. Well at least he was
happy. Jordan wandered into the living room and glanced around at the
decorating. He shook his head. He honestly thought he'd never see the day when
Miguel would allow female touches to be part of the interior decorations but
love did strange things to people. Not that there was a lot of female touches
around. Kasey wasn't fond of the stereotypical female touches. There were vases
and vases full of flowers, all sorts, and their scent permeated throughout the
whole house. There was those dream catcher things Miguel had mentioned Kasey
liked so much as well as wind chimes and also some aroma therapy stuff but
other than that, the living room was pleasant and livable. It was also less
than clean, with cushions on the floor and today's paper lying in pieces.
Jordan grinned as he realized exactly what he had interrupted. He sat down on
the lounge chair and picked up a piece of the newspaper just as someone burst
into the room.
*****
" Kasey! Where are you? Kasey..."
Danielle called out as she came into the living room. She pulled up short when
she saw Jordan sitting on the lounge chair. He looked surprised to see her, as
she did him. What was he doing here?
" Danielle..."
" Where's Kasey?" she asked, ignoring his
pleading look.
" She and Miguel are talking."
" Talking talking or..."
" Talking talking. At least that's what I
think they're doing," Jordan said, grinning a little Danielle tried not to
smile but couldn't help it.
" Knowing those two, nothing would surprise
me. What happened this time?"
" Kasey is mad at me."
" She has every right to be."
" Damn, why'd you tell her? What did you tell
her?"
" I told her everything. Well, maybe not
everything," she said, remembering the night," But I did tell her
what an ass you were."
" I was not an ass! I panicked..."
" You panicked? Why?" she asked, as if
she hadn't heard his confession by Terries grave. After all, he had no way of
knowing she had been there.
" Look...now is not the time or place to talk
about this. Kasey and Miguel could come out at any minute and we really need a
long talk about this. How about you come over to my place tonight and I make
you dinner and we..."
" I don't think so."
" Damn it, you aren't going to give me a
chance to explain myself?"
" Why should I? Twice you've done this to me.
Treated me bad. I gave you one chance, what makes you think that you deserve
another one?" she asked, hoping that he would say the reason she had
heard.
" Why? Because I think we could have something
special here. And if you don't give me that second chance, maybe we'll be
throwing away that."
" Its not enough Jordan. I don't want to risk
ending up being shoved aside every god damn time you panic! Or you feel
depressed. Or you start drinking. Damn, it's always something keeping you from
talking to me. Or getting close to someone."
" Danielle, I lost someone I loved. I can't be
expected to get over that so quickly!" Jordan was getting angry now.
" I don't expect you to forget Terrie. I don't
expect you to be 100% over her death. But why cant you just let it go? You are
the one who is still alive and sometimes, I swear you act as though you're
dead!"
" What right do you have to tell me this? You
don't know me! You met me two days ago! Just who the hell do you think you are
talking to me like this?" Jordan asked angrily, getting to his feet and
facing her, his hands on his hips as he glared at her.
" I thought I was someone that you could have
something special with. Obviously you were lying again," she said sadly
and walked away from him, leaving him standing there, stunned and in disbelief.
Miguel appeared from the kitchen, a curious look on his face.
" Was that Danielle?" he asked.
" Yeah."
" And?"
" I screwed up."
" Damn it Jordan! Again? Can you do anything
but screw up? I just go Kasey back talking to you and you go and do this!"
Miguel said to him.
" I'm pathetic. I'm blind. I'm hopeless at
commitment. I..."
" Okay, okay. I think I get the picture. What
are you going to do about it though?" Miguel asked.
" What can I do? Danielle won't give me a
chance again. I had my chance, I blew it. That's it as far as she's
concerned."
" So you're willing to give up a chance at
love because you're stubborn? I thought you were the one who just told me
different. What happened to that attitude?"
" I'm not you!"
" No, you're not. Because if it was me, I
would be in Danielle's room right now begging her forgiveness and for a second
chance!" Miguel said and left the room angrily.
*****
" Danielle, you can't leave!" Kasey said
desperately as she sat on the bed and watched as she packed her clothes.
" I can and I have to. I'm sorry Kasey. I know
how much you wanted me to stay here. I wanted to be here for Christmas and long
after that but with what happened with Jordan, I just can't stay here."
" Danielle, I have never know you to give up
this easily! You like the man! Why wont you give him another chance?"
" What happened to your attitude of he can go
to hell?"
" Miguel talked me out of that."
" Miguel managed to talk you out of an
opinion? Oh man, you must really be in love!" Danielle teased and Kasey
threw a pillow at her.
" I'm just saying that Jordan wants to talk to
you. Sit down and talk this out before you go back to Canada. Please?"
Kasey begged, looking at her with puppy dog eyes.
" It doesn't work Kase. You need brown eyes to
make it work properly," Danielle said and Kasey pouted.
" Fine. Go home. Leave me all alone here in
Boston at Christmas. Where I don't know anyone but Miguel. Make me sad at
Christmas. That’s okay. I'll survive," Kasey said and Danielle instantly
felt guilty. Okay so this was Kasey's first Christmas away from her family.
Maybe she should stay...
" Okay. Fine. But only until after Christmas.
Then I go home," she said and Kasey instantly smiled and somehow Danielle
thought she had just been scammed.
" Oh thanks! You won't regret this, I
promise!"
" Wanna make a bet?" Danielle mumbled as
she started unpacking.
*****
" Its Christmas day and you want me to do
what?" Miguel asked in disbelief and Kasey giggled.
" I want you to go over to Jordan's and ask
him over for drinks later on tonight," she said as she traced patterns on
his chest.
" Why can't I call him?"
" Because."
" Because what?"
" Just because."
" You know, you're going to make a good mother
one day. When our kids come up to you and ask why they can't stay over at their
friends place, you'll go 'Because' and that will be the end of it!" Miguel
laughed as he laid his head back onto the pillow. Kasey rested her head on his
chest and smiled.
" Our kids?" she asked casually.
" Our kids," Miguel confirmed and she
lifted her head and looked at him.
" You know, we never talked about kids
before."
" No, we haven't."
" I think maybe we should," she said
seriously and he looked at her.
" Are you trying to tell me something?"
" Me?" she asked innocently.
" You," he confirmed, sitting up in the
bed.
" Now why would you be thinking that I'm
trying to tell you something?" she asked.
" I know you too well. You usually don't hedge
around the subject as much as you are," he said, capturing her wandering
hand and bringing it to his lips.
" Me? Hedging? Not true!" she laughed as
she pulled her hand out of his and moved it back down his body.
" Kasey," Miguel warned.
" Miguel," she said lightly, leaning over
and kissing his chest softly.
" You wanted to talk about children?" he
asked, trying to keep his mind on the subject and not on what she was doing to
him.
" Now?" she asked him in surprise. It
took all of his will power but he nodded. Kasey sighed in disappointment and
sat straight up in bed," Fine. You wanted to talk. Let's talk."
" Why did you suddenly bring up the subject of
children?"
" Me? Hey mister! It wasn't me telling a
little story about how good a mother I would make!" she said defensively.
" Yes well I was only telling you what I
thought. You, on the other hand, will not tell me why you want to talk about
this subject."
" Its Christmas morning honey. Can we..."
" Kasey..."
" Oh fine. I think I may be pregnant
okay?" she said, biting her lip nervously. Miguel stared at her in
surprise. He was silent for so long that her heart begin to sink. She started
to get out of bed but was stopped when Miguel grabbed her around the waist and
pulled her back to him.
" Where do you think you're going?" he
asked huskily. She didn't look at him so he placed a finger under her chin and
lifted her face so their eyes were meeting, " You think that I mind about
this?" he asked.
" I thought you would. I mean, we've only been
dating for a little while. And we never really talked about it before."
" Yes the news that you could be pregnant is a
surprise but that’s only because I thought we were protected."
" Yeah well so did I. But it says on the box
there that its only 97% effective. I guess we could be within that
unlucky..."
" No. Don't ever say that we were unlucky. If
you are pregnant, then it's meant to be," he said. He leaned over to the
bedside table and opened the top drawer, pulling out a small velvet box.
Kasey's heart leapt to her throat as he turned back to her and snapped the box
open."
" Miguel..."
" Let me talk, please Kase?" he asked and
she nodded," I bought this on my last tripe to New York."
" That..." Kasey began but was silenced
by a look from Miguel.
" This," he said, indicating the bed,"
Isn't the place I imagined for this but I don't want you thinking that I'm
asking you to marry me because you may or may not be pregnant. Because that is
not the case. I love you Kasey. Have loved you ever since we first met. And
each day I fall deeper in love with you than the day before. So I'm asking you,
will you marry me?" Miguel asked as he removed the solitaire diamond from
its velvet case.
" Oh god Miguel. Of course I will!" Kasey
said. He slipped the ring onto her finger and kissed her deeply.
*****
" Hey are you two ever gonna get out of
bed?" Danielle knocked on the door, wondering why they were still in bed
past the time they had demanded she get out," I knew I was going to regret
staying."
" Hey. Its Christmas! Be nice!" Kasey had
heard that last remark just as she opened the bedroom door. Well, at least they
were dressed.
" You told me I had to be out of bed by nine
so we could have breakfast. And you didn't do that yourself. Why I
wonder?" Danielle asked teasingly as she and Kasey headed into the
kitchen.
" You really have to ask?" Kasey asked
and laughed when Danielle groaned teasingly.
" Do you two never get enough?" she asked
and Kasey blushed. It wasn't until then that Danielle noticed the ring on
Kasey's finger that hadn't been there the night before," Ah. Maybe now I
understand why you were so late." Kasey stared at her in bewilderment
until she pointed out the ring.
" Oh. Yeah that's why were so late."
" Well congratulations then. Very fitting, on
Christmas morning Miguel," Danielle said as Miguel entered. He stared at
her and then smiled when he realized what she was talking about.
" Had to get something special," he said,
kissing Kasey lightly on the nose as he took the eggs off her.
" An engagement ring can't get much more
special. Any date yet?" she asked, going over to help Kasey.
" Sit down. You're a guest," Kasey
ordered. Danielle shot Miguel a glance and he shrugged, smiling a little.
" Better listen to her Danielle. Wouldn't want
to get her mad," he said. She waved her hands and went back to the table
and sat down.
" Any date? Uh..." Kasey glanced at
Miguel who answered.
" Not yet. We have something to sort out
before we can decide on a date," he said and Danielle stared at the
suspiciously.
" What's going on?" she asked.
" What do you mean?" Kasey asked, trying
her best to look innocent.
" Oh come on! You expect me to swallow that
routine?" she asked and Kasey tried to look hurt.
" What act?"
" She's got ya hon. Danielle knows you to well
for you to pretend innocence. May as well tell her," Miguel said.
" Tell me what?"
" Damn curious! Anyone ever tell you that the
cat died like that?" Kasey asked and Danielle glared at her," Okay!
Damn! Why is it you two know me so well? This isn't going to be fun
anymore!"
" Kasey..." Miguel and Danielle said
warningly at the same time.
" Oh god. You two..."
" She could be pregnant," Miguel said,
covering Kasey's mouth with his hand," Ouch!" He pulled his hand away
and glared at Kasey as he stared at the bite marks," You bit me!"
" You told her! I was going to tell her!"
Kasey said. Danielle stared at the two of them.
" Pregnant? Already? Obviously you couldn't
get enough!" she said and Kasey giggled when Miguel reddened.
" And before you ask, no I didn't ask her to
marry me because of that. I bought the ring last time I was in New York."
" That was a month ago!" Danielle stared
in surprise. He had been planning to marry her a month ago?
" He wouldn't let me say that in there,"
Kasey said as she took Miguel's hand and kissed the bite marks softly.
" You mean he managed to shut you up without
getting hurt?" for that remark Danielle received a broken egg shell aimed
at her head," See. You even try to hurt me for saying it!"
" An egg shell won't hurt you," Kasey
said as she went over to retrieve it.
" So when will you know for sure?" she
asked as she watched the pair of them get Christmas breakfast ready.
" Uh. Soon?" Kasey mumbled around a glass
of orange juice.
" The sooner the better I take it?"
another glare," Well make sure you let me know with plenty of time so I
can get back here for the wedding."
" You still aren't planning on leaving are
you?" Kasey asked.
" I told you I was."
" But..."
" Now Kasey. If Danielle wants to leave, she
can. Nothing we can do to stop her," Miguel said mildly, earning a glare
for his trouble.
" I thought you were going to try and help me
convince her to stay!" Danielle shook her head. They sounded like a couple
of school kids arguing over who gets possession of the ball first.
" Kasey, Miguel. I'll stay for a couple more
days. But I cant promise anything else," she said.
" But..."
" Kasey," Miguel warned her and Danielle
had to bite her lip at the way Kasey instantly quieted.
" Okay," she finally said unhappily but
Danielle knew that wasn't the end of the conversation.
*****
" She wants you over there tonight
Jordan," he couldn't believe he was here, trying to convince a stubborn
man to come where he wasn't wanted.
" Sure she does. I'm going to be the main
course. Roasted Jordan. Thanks, but no thanks Miguel," Jordan said as he
picked up the last of the wrapping paper that was on the floor. He had had his
nephews and nieces over this morning and they had all eagerly torn into the
presents he had bought for them.
" Look, she's trying to make peace with you.
Give her that one small thing," Miguel pleaded.
" Small? Miguel, this is the woman who has
threatened to seriously hurt me. I don't think she wants to make peace with me.
She wants to harm me. First she's going to knock you out and then let Danielle
kill me. They'll hide my body and claim they know nothing," Jordan said
seriously.
" You're over reacting."
" Am I?"
" Yes! I talked to Kasey. She's trying to get
Danielle to give you another chance. She doesn't want you dead."
" Sure."
" You're being stubborn."
" I'm being cautious. Your girlfriend..."
" Fiancé," Miguel corrected.
" Fiancé? Damn, you move fast," Jordan
said and Miguel glared at him," Anyway, your fiancé has a mean
streak."
" Of course she does. You hurt her
friend," Miguel said. As he turned to leave, he looked back at
Jordan," I have a mean streak as well. You aren't at our place by six
tonight, I'll call the record company and tell them you decided against
them."
" You wouldn't!"
" Just watch me!" Miguel said and shut
the door behind him.
" Kasey's been teaching you too much,"
Jordan muttered as he finished cleaning. He was doomed. He knew it right now.
Danielle was going to hate him for the rest of her life and there wasn't a damn
thing he could do about it.
*****
" You what?" Danielle looked at her
friend in disbelief.
" I asked Miguel to get Jordan over here
tonight. You two need to sit down and talk," Kasey said nonchalantly as
she read the recipe in the cookbook," Why do you lot have to eat turkey.
Can't you eat something easier, like ham?"
" Ham? For Christmas dinner? You've been
uneducated over there in Australia," Danielle teased her and grinned when
Kasey glared at her.
" Ham is much easier to prepare. Slice and
eat. Simple. None of this stuffing crap. I'm going to all this trouble to
prepare something I don't even eat!" she muttered.
" So don't do it."
" And ruin Christmas for people who eat
turkey? I don't think so. Miguel went out and bought me ham. I'll be fine. I
have to do this. I'll be doing it for the rest of my life so I have to do it
now," she said.
" Fine. Do you want me to help?"
" Nah. I'll get Miguel to help me. He'll do
it," Kasey said lightly.
" He'll do what?" Miguel asked as he
entered the kitchen.
" You'll help me with this turkey, wont
you?" Kasey asked him and he groaned.
" I knew I should have stayed at
Jordan's," he said good naturally but went over to the sink and washed his
hands anyway," What do you want me to do?"
" Is he coming?" Kasey asked, after she
had directed him to the job she wanted him to do.
" Yeah. I had to threaten him but he'll be
here," Miguel said as he concentrated on stuffing the turkey.
" Good. You said six, right?"
" Yes I said six."
" I still don't know why you had to ask him
over today. This couldn't wait until tomorrow?" Danielle asked and Kasey
shook her head.
" No, it couldn't. Miracles happen at
Christmas," she said firmly.
" Sure they do. Jordan is instantly going to
change his mind and become a better person and I'm going to forgive him and say
that I don't mind being hurt constantly. I don't think so Kasey."
" Trust me. Things will work out."
" Trust you?"
" Trust me."
*****
" I didn't think you'd come."
" You threatened me. What else was I to do
huh?" Jordan asked as he stepped inside the house.
" I've threatened you before. This is the
first time you believed me," Miguel said, smiling. He knew why Jordan was
here - and it wasn't completely because of his earlier threat.
" Yeah well..."
" Admit it Jordan, you're not here because I
threatened you."
" Maybe."
" You're here because you want to see
Danielle," Miguel said and Jordan glared at him as he shrugged out of his
jacket.
" So you know everything. Do you know if she's
even going to talk to me?"
" How the hell would I know? I'm not a
freaking psychic!" he said, leading the way into the study where Kasey was
sprawled out on a chair, reading a book. She looked up at their entrance and
smiled at Jordan.
" You mean you aren't mad at me anymore?"
he asked her as she got to her feet.
" No I'm not mad at you. I'm happy to see
you," she said.
" Does that mean I'm not going to be
killed?" he was still wary of why she was so happy to see him. He became
even more suspicious when she smiled widely.
" No, you'll live."
" I don't get it."
" What is there to get?" she asked,
hooking her hand through Miguel's arm and moving in close to him.
" You."
" Oh don't try and work Kasey out. You'll be
there forever!" Miguel teased and laughed when Kasey poked him in the
ribs," You know I love you baby."
" Nice way to show that love," she
muttered.
" Oh don't worry. I'll show you just how much
I love you, in private later on," he whispered and she smiled.
" Good."
" Are you two making eyes at each other
again?" the three of them looked up and found Danielle standing in the
doorway.
" When are we not making eyes at each
other?" Kasey asked as she left Miguel's side and went over to Danielle.
" Good question. I'd like to know the answer
to that," she said.
" Now that everyone's here we can start."
" Start what?" Jordan asked suspiciously,
noticing the way Danielle ignored him.
" Talking," Kasey said as she locked the
door leading into the kitchen and pocketing the key.
" Talking? About what?" Danielle asked as
she watched Kasey and Miguel head towards the only other door of the room.
" You two need to sit down and talk this out.
And we don't plan on letting you out of here until then," Kasey said as
she and Miguel left the room. Danielle heard the key turn in the door and
realized what Kasey had just done.
" She's locked us in," Jordan said in
surprise.
" Damn. I should have known she'd pay me back
for what I did to her and Miguel the other night," Danielle muttered as
she tried the doorknobs," I cant believe she did this."
" You cant? I thought you were friends with
her!"
" I am! But that doesn't mean I know how her
mind works! Not even Miguel knows that! I should have know this was going to
happen though. She's been trying to talk me into staying in Boston and I
wouldn't listen. And she's been trying to get me to talk to you. This is her
way of making sure that happens," Danielle said as she sat down on a chair
and watched him warily.
" I am going to kill Miguel for letting this
happen," Jordan muttered.
" Oh please. No one can control Kasey. When
she gets an idea in her head., it stays there. She's stubborn and bull
headed."
" Now I can see why you two are friends,"
he muttered.
" Be nice."
" What?"
" Be nice. Kasey wont let us out if we don't
at least attempt to talk."
" How the hell is she going to know
that?"
" I'm betting she won't let us out until
morning now. She and Miguel are probably upstairs celebrating their
engagement."
" What's that all about?"
" What?"
" Their engagement. They've only been dating a
few months."
" Maybe they know what they want in life and
don't keep running from living," she said sharply and Jordan flinched.
" Okay so I've been stupid. But does that mean
you have to keep reminding me?"
" Yes."
" Oh. Okay. But does that mean you can't
forgive me and give me a chance?"
" Why? I asked you before why you deserved
another chance and you never told me why."
" What do you want to hear Danielle? That
Terrie will never be someone I loved? That I will never remember her
again?"
" Now you're being childish. I know what
Terrie meant to you and I don't expect you to forget her. All I'm asking is
that you move away from this tragedy and move on with your life. Start to live
again, feel things, believe that despite what you've been through, your life
will become better again," she said and he stared at her.
" I am moving on."
" No you're not. Treating me as though I was a
one night stand is not moving on. You still have that mentality that by
sleeping with another woman, you're cheating on Terrie."
" I..."
" And don't say that's not the case. Because
why else would you have acted like you did this morning?"
" Because when I woke up, you were in my arms
and I began to think of Terrie and I felt guilty...oh," Jordan silenced
when he realized what he had been saying," That guilt was stemming from
being with another woman, feeling this way about another woman."
" And how do you feel about me?"
" I know that I like you."
" Like?"
" Like. What more do you expect?"
" You said that you could see something
special developing between us. Was that another lie?"
" No!"
" Sounds like it to me," she said and
turned away from him and stared into the fire.
" Shit Danielle you think I like feeling this
way? Hell I don't. But I don't know what else to feel. I thought that Terrie
and I were going to be together forever. Marriage, kids, the whole nine yards.
And when she died, I felt as though the better part of my soul had died with
her. And then I met you. With all your stubbornness and fiery attitude, I found
myself attracted to you. And damning myself because of it," Jordan said
softly, walking closer to her.
" Is it that wrong to feel for me?"
" No! It never could be wrong. My heart is
telling me to go ahead with this relationship but..."
" But what?"
" I just feel that being with you I'd be
cheating on Terrie."
" Then we can't have anything. No friendship,
no relationship...nothing. You feel as though you're cheating on a dead woman
Jordan! I don't want that kind of barrier between us!"
" You're being unreasonable..."
" And don't say that I expect you to forget
her because I don't. I know how much you loved Terrie. And I understand that
you would feel a sense of guilt at still being alive. It's called survivors
guilt. But I cannot be in a relationship with someone who feels that way. I'm
very much alive. You are too. Don't let yourself be weighed down with a guilt
that will only end up harming you," she said quietly.
*****
" How do you think they're doing?" Miguel
asked Kasey as they lay in bed together, his hands resting on her stomach.
" I hope they're talking," she said
sleepily. Miguel smiled as he sensed her fall asleep. This was another sign that
she could be pregnant. She had never fallen asleep this easily before, normally
never going to bed before two or three in the morning. And here it was, only
ten pm and she was sound asleep in his arms. He waited for several more minutes
before getting out of bed, making sure not to disturb her as he did so. He
stood by the side of the bed for a little longer, just watching her, before
leaning down and kissing her softly on her lips. She sighed and moved
restlessly as he left their bedroom and headed downstairs. He stood outside the
study room and not hearing anything, unlocked it. Opening the door he found
Jordan sitting on a chair, watching Danielle read. Damn. They weren't talking
at all. Jordan looked up when he heard the door open and Danielle got to her
feet and walked past Miguel, without saying a word.
" I take it it didn't work," Miguel said.
Jordan sighed and shook his head.
" No. And it never will," he said.
" Kasey won't be happy you realize."
" Look, I don't care."
" I think you do deep down."
" I don't. Kasey can think whatever she wants.
Danielle is right when she says that there would be too much of a barrier
between us if we ever got involved. There would be. A dead woman," Jordan
said.
" You can get over Terrie."
" It's been long enough Miguel. I should be
fully over her now. I don’t want to be living like this. I want to get involved
with another woman. But something is holding me back."
" What could be holding you back?"
" Guilt."
" Over what for gods sake? You know that the
accident wasn't your fault."
" I know that but its not guilt over Terries
death. It's the guilt as though I've been cheating on her."
" Jordan..."
" I know, I know. Danielle said the same
thing. But I can't help what I feel."
" Yes you can. You're a grown man. Danielle is
alive and willing to give you a chance. Don't blow that," Miguel said,
unlocking the door to the kitchen and entering it.
"Why can't I just have an easy life like you
and Kasey?" Jordan asked and Miguel laughed.
" Easy? We don't have it easy. I just love
her. That's why it seems easy. But no relationship is ever easy. Whether you're
just starting out in one, getting over one or planning to get married. Just be
willing to give it a chance," he said.
" Why are you getting married?"
" Why not?"
" Come on Miguel. I know you. The confirmed
bachelor. When you started to date Kasey I gave it a month. And now you're
getting married?"
" Look, this is not about me. This is about
you. Why aren't you in there with Danielle, talking to her, instead of out here
bugging the hell out of me?"
" Because Danielle doesn't want to talk. And
she doesn't want to see me. I know where I'm not wanted. I'll give her a couple
days to cool down, then I'll try again."
" She's leaving in two days."
" No she's not."
" Yes, she is. I had to do some fast talking
to get the plane ticket changed. She is leaving Boston in two days unless you
can figure out some way to keep her here."
" Hell what am I supposed to do? Propose
marriage to her?" Jordan asked sarcastically.
" That's not why I asked Kasey to marry
me," Miguel said, his voice a quiet anger and Jordan knew he had gone too
far.
" I'm sorry. I never should have said that. I
know you two are in love. I overstepped the mark. I just don't want Danielle to
leave and I don't know how to get her to stay."
" Tell her how you feel."
" And how do I feel?"
" I don't know, how about you love her? Or
you're falling in love with her. Maybe she loves you Jordan. How will you ever
know if you don’t give it a chance?" Miguel asked and Jordan was silent as
he pondered that thought.
*****
The next morning, Miguel was woken by Kasey as she
kissed her way along his chest and down to his stomach.
" What are you doing?" he asked sleepily.
She looked up at him and smiled cheekily.
" Giving you a wake up call you wont
forget?" she said and he laughed, gently pulling her face up to his for a
kiss.
" Waking up to you every morning is enough,
thank you," he said, kissing her softly and she pouted.
" You don't like my wake up calls?" she
asked, looking very much like a hurt little girl. But he knew her well enough
to know she was teasing him.
" I like them a little too much baby. But I
have to be at the studio in like, an hour. If we get started, I won't be able
to stop. And you know Jordan. He gets mad over the tiniest thing now."
" Jordan won't mind. He's locked in with
Danielle," she said. When he didn't respond, she looked at him and sighed
at the guilt she saw on his face," He's not down there anymore, is
he?"
" Ah, no, he isn't."
" What time did you let him out?"
" Just after you fell asleep last night,"
he mumbled.
" Miguel, you know that I'm trying to get them
together. How am I going to manage that if you go ahead and screw everything
up?" she asked him teasingly and he smiled.
" I know but maybe they don't want to be
together. You ever think of that?" he asked. She sat up in bed and crossed
her arms across her chest as she faced him defiantly.
" They want to be together. I know they want
to be together. But that cant be achieved because they are stubborn and my
fiancé here keeps refusing to believe," she said and he smiled,"
What?"
" I like that."
" Like what?"
" The way you said 'my fiancé'."
" I'm glad you do. Because I plan on saying it
quite a lot. And not just in private either, fiancé. In public as well,"
Kasey said and he laughed.
" Good. Because I wont ever let anything come
between us and this marriage you realize. Nothing. Not even Jordan and Danielle
and you're matchmaking attempt will stop that," he said and Kasey sighed.
" That's very good to hear. Now don't you have
to get ready for work or something?" she asked as he started kissing her
neck. He looked her in the eyes and smiled.
" Jordan won't mind if I'm a little
late," he said. But by the time they were finished, he was a lot more than
just a 'little late'.
*****
" Get out of bed Danielle. We need to
talk," Kasey pounded on the bedroom door. Danielle groaned and covered her
head with a pillow. She had spent most of the night tossing and turning, unable
to sleep because of what had happened the night before.
" Can I get some more sleep before you kill
me? I'd like to go to my grave a rested woman," she said.
" No. Get out of bed. I'll see you in the
kitchen in ten minutes. Or I'll come in there and drag your ass out
myself," Kasey said and left. Danielle sighed and threw back the covers.
She wouldn't put it past Kasey to do just that. So she quickly showered and
dressed and was in the kitchen within those ten minutes.
" I'm here," she said.
" I see that. How did last night go?"
Kasey asked as she fixed herself a bowl of cereal.
" It went fine," Danielle said warily.
Hadn't Miguel told her that he had let them out?
" Really? So what did you talk about last
night anyway?"
" You know he let us out, right?"
" I know."
" So why aren't you letting him have it?"
" Oh, he got it all right chica," Kasey
said and grinned evilly. Danielle groaned good naturally.
" That's how you get pregnant girl," she
said.
" I know," Kasey said simply and smiled.
" Yeah, I think you do. So what do you want to
talk about?"
" I asked you. What did you and Jordan talk
about last night?"
" We talked about...things," Danielle
said, hedging.
" Things? What sort of things?"
" Like how he feels guilty over cheating on
Terrie," she said and Kasey, who had been in the process of drinking a
glass of milk, choked and fought for breath as she swallowed the wrong way.
" He cheated on Terrie? When?" she asked
when she finally had her breath back.
" With me. He said that he cheated on Terrie
with me."
" The other night? How is that...he thinks
he's cheating on a dead woman?" Kasey couldn't believe it.
" Yeah."
" How can he think that? Terrie has been gone
for a long time now. He needs to realize that and move on. Is that why he acted
like he did that morning?"
" Yeah. He said that he woke up and felt like
he had cheated on Terrie and that was why he acted the way he did. That I
understand, okay so he never felt that sort of emotion with another woman since
Terrie died, but damn it, why couldn't he tell me that in the morning? Instead
of making me feel like a one night stand, why not tell me it was him?" she
asked and Kasey sighed.
" He's a man."
" What the hell is that supposed to mean, he's
a man? That's not an excuse for the way he acted."
" I know. But it should explain why he didn't
tell you. Miguel is the same way. I basically have to twist his arm to get him
to spill anything personal. Trying to get a man to tell you what they're
feeling is like trying to...well, hell I don't know! But its hard," Kasey
said.
" He could have told me. He didn't have to
hide from me and make me feel like I was the one who was doing something wrong.
I don't like feeling like that," Danielle said and Kasey sighed.
" No one does but it happens. That's what
happened between me and Miguel the first time we slept together as well. When
he dropped me off, I thought he was never gonna see me again, that I was just
another number to add. I was low for days," Kasey said, frowning slightly
as she thought about that.
" But you didn't sleep with him within days of
meeting him!"
" Yes I did. Our second date, that second
night," Kasey said and Danielle stared at her.
" Damn girl. I never knew that."
" Well we did. Now I wouldn't change it but
when it happened I was like, why did I do that so soon? He's gonna think I'm a
slut after Jordan."
" Well I guess I'm lucky Jordan can't say that
about me!"
" Guess so. So what are you going to do about
it?"
" About what?"
" About Jordan. You can't just not talk to him
again."
" Yes I can."
" Don't be so bloody stubborn woman! Get over
to his house and talk to him! Oh wait. He's not at the house. He's at the
studio with Miguel."
" Why?"
" How am I supposed to know that? I didn't ask
Miguel. We were too busy doing other things this morning," she said and
grinned when Danielle groaned.
" You are never gonna get enough of that man,
are you?"
" Nope. And I never plan to start
either."
*****
" Sometimes all I want to do to those two is
just hit their heads together," Kasey said to Miguel in frustration, later
that day. She had been trying all day, unsuccessfully to get Jordan and
Danielle in the same room. But either Jordan had to be in the recording room,
or Danielle wanted a drink.
" I don't think this idea of coming to the
studio with me was such a great idea hun," he said softly as they watched
Danielle ignore Jordan. Jordan was doing just as good a job at ignoring her.
" It was supposed to work."
" Maybe its time you gave up trying to get
them together. They obviously don't want to work it out. Or they would be
talking to each other," Miguel said gently. He didn't want to upset Kasey
but he thought she needed to concentrate on something other than Jordan and
Danielle for a change.
" Hmm maybe you're right," she sighed and
turned to face him, a slight smile on her face," Do you think they'd miss
us if we disappeared for, oh, say an hour?"
" Yeah, I think they would,
unfortunately," he chuckled and kissed her on her nose as she pouted.
" Damn," she said and ran her hand down
his chest and rested it on the outside of his jeans. As he kissed her, he
removed her hand, knowing that if he let her touch him like that, he would lose
control, which wouldn't be such a great idea right here.
" Baby, you know something. I think you should
occupy your mind doing other things," he said teasingly and she laughed.
" What sort of things?"
" Maybe like our wedding? Or heading off to
the doctor? Or..."
" Okay, okay I get the hint. You want me to
stop spending so much time on Danielle and Jordan and start concentrating on
us," Kasey said and Miguel smiled, wrapping his arms around her waist,
bringing her body close to his.
" Exactly. As much as I want those two to get
together, I don't think it's going to happen in this lifetime. And you have
much more important things to do than worry yourself about them," he said
and she sighed, resting her head on his chest.
" Okay. I'll make an appointment with the
doctor and start organizing something for the wedding. Okay?" she asked
him, looking up at him with a flirtatious smile.
" Good girl. You will be rewarded very well
later on," he whispered huskily and bent his head to kiss her. They jerked
apart at the sound of someone groaning.
" You'd think, that just once, they'd be able
to keep their hands off each other. Especially in public! But no, they still
can't get enough!" Danielle said teasingly and laughed when Kasey shot her
a glare.
" We were just sealing a bargain we
made," Kasey said defensively and Danielle glanced at Miguel who was
trying, unsuccessfully she might add, to hide his very obvious arousal and
laughed.
" Oh I can bet what kind of bargain you two
made," she said and ducked as Kasey threw a note pad at her head,"
Hey. You could hurt someone like that!"
" Really? Oh I'm sorry. I didn't know that!
I'm only an Australian remember?" Kasey said teasingly and Miguel laughed.
" Only an Australian? Damn baby that's not the
only thing you are. You're also..."
" Wait," Danielle stopped him, holding up
her hand," I don't want to hear this. Kasey, before I get thoroughly ill,
can we go and get something to eat? I'm starving and if I don't eat soon, I may
just turn nasty."
" Yeah, I'm hungry too. Why don't you and
Danielle go and grab us all something for lunch. While you're at it, make that
phone call. I want to be there with you so make it for when I'm free
okay?" Miguel said to Kasey and she nodded.
" Will do Mr. Melendez," she said and
kissed him quickly before leaving the room. Danielle followed her, leaving
Miguel and Jordan alone, Jordan facing Miguel, a wary look in his eyes. It was
as though he knew what was coming. And he spoke before Miguel could.
" I know what you're about to say Miguel and
I..."
" Jordan, just shut up."
" What?"
" Shut up. Its simple English, surely you can
understand that," Miguel said and almost laughed at Jordan's expression.
" Fine," he said and crossed his arms
across his chest, looking very much like a little boy who had just been told
something he didn't want to hear.
" Jordan, you are being a stubborn ass."
" I think I've heard this already."
" So how many more times do I have to tell
you?"
" Obviously one more," he said and turned
back to the desk he was working at.
" Danielle goes home in two days. Can you not
at least attempt to make peace with her, if only for Kasey's sake?"
" And why for her sake?"
" Because, damn it, I don't want her to worry
about anything! It's not good for her right now."
" Why not?"
" I'd rather not..."
" What? Is she pregnant or something?"
Jordan asked teasingly but when Miguel didn't join in, he stared at his friend
in surprise," Oh hell. That's it, isn't it? She's pregnant?"
" She may be."
" Does that mean I also need to find another
manager?" Jordan asked, running a hand over his face. Miguel was going to
be a father? Damn, what was happening?
" We haven't thought that far ahead yet."
" Well I'll need to!"
" Damn it Jordan! We don't even know for sure
whether she is pregnant yet! Don't jump to conclusions! If she is, there's no
reason why I can't continue managing you, as long as nothing is scheduled for
around the delivery date," Miguel said and Jordan sighed.
" Are you sure? Kasey wouldn't..."
" You know what J? Let us get the pregnancy
confirmed first and then we'll talk about everything else, okay?"
" Okay. And I'm happy for ya man. I really am.
Just...shocked I guess," Jordan said and Miguel laughed wryly.
" Shocked doesn't even begin to describe what
I was feeling when she told me. We've only been dating four months. Imagine
when she tells me that we may be about to become parents."
" Is this something you want?" Jordan
asked carefully, unsure of how to really react.
" Hell yes."
" Then it shouldn't matter how long you've
been dating. As long as you love her, and I know you love her, then it doesn't
matter."
" Wise words from someone who cant see past
their stubbornness to make one woman's life a little easier," Miguel said
and left the room, leaving Jordan to think about that, long and hard.
*****
" Danielle, please, at least make an effort.
You leave in two days. Is it going to be so hard to make one tiny effort to be
nice to him?" Kasey asked as they stood at the counter of the small cafe,
several sandwiches and drinks in front of the, waiting for service. Danielle
threw Kasey a look that clearly said 'Stay out of it' but answered her anyway.
" I so don't want to get into this right
now," she said.
" Two days of being nice to him. Is that so
hard to do?" Danielle sighed. She should have known that there was no way
Kasey was about to give up on it. What would it hurt to be nice to Jordan for
two days? Forty-eight hours. That's it. It wasn't exactly a lifetime.
" Okay. So I be nice to the man for two days.
That's it. Then I leave Boston and never speak to him again. Deal?" she
asked and Kasey smiled, nodding as she did so.
" Thanks. I promise that everything will be
much nicer now you two are talking."
" Hey, you think he's gonna want to talk to
me?"
" He will, if he knows what is good for
him," Kasey said mildly as she paid the cafe attendant.
" You plan on threatening him?"
" I'm sure Miguel has already done that,"
she said as she picked up the sandwiches. Danielle picked up the drinks and
they walked across the street to the studio again. When they entered the room
that they had left Miguel and Jordan in only a short time before, they found
only Jordan sitting at the desk, writing quickly on a notepad. He looked up at
their entrance and smiled. Danielle couldn't believe it when the smile was
directed at her. He stood up and came over to the, taking two of the drinks off
her and placing them on the desk behind him, then taking some of the sandwiches
off Kasey and doing the same to them.
" Are you feeling okay?" she couldn't
resist. He was smiling at her, not ignoring her. She had honestly thought that
no amount of threatening from either Miguel or Kasey would get him to change
his mind.
" I'm feeling better than I have in a very
long time," he said and went over to Kasey and captured her in a big
hug," Miguel told me and I am very happy for both of you." He stepped
away from her and Kasey eyed him warily.
" You're happy? Why?" she asked bluntly
and he laughed.
" You and Miguel, parents. Who would have
guessed. But as long as Miguel doesn't abandon me..."
" I don't expect him to give up a job he
obviously loves for me or our children, whether I'm pregnant now or later. He
loves what he does. If I took that away from him, he'd end up hating me. You
expected me to give him an ultimatum?" Kasey asked and Jordan shrugged.
" I didn't know what you would do."
" Well I won't do that. Speaking of Miguel,
where is he?"
" Could be anywhere in the studio. Take him
his lunch before he comes looking for it and me," Jordan said, handing
Kasey one of the drinks and a couple of sandwiches. She eyed him warily, then
looked at Danielle and a smile broke out on her face.
" Okay. I'll take my lunch too. We can eat
together. That will give you two a chance to talk," Kasey said and grabbed
her share of the meal. She left the room and shut the door behind her. Danielle
and Jordan looked at each other and he sighed.
" I want to apologize for my behaviour
lately."
" Apology accepted."
" I'm sorry I treated you like a one night
stand."
" We don't have to go into that again, do
we?"
" Okay. So what do you want to talk about,
while we're here, alone?" he asked and she shrugged her shoulders as she
unwrapped the sandwich.
" Anything but what's happened in the last
couple of days," she said.
" How about new years? How do you plan on
spending new years?" he asked, choosing a relatively safe topic. This
started a conversation on the pros and cons of celebrating the New Year. They
became so involved in talking to each other that they didn't hear the click at
the door. It was only when Kasey and Miguel appeared at the other door that
either of them looked up.
" Oh good. At least you two are talking. We'll
see you later," Kasey said as she stepped out of the room. The door shut
behind her and they heard the click this time. Danielle got to her feet and
tried to open it.
" They locked us in," she said when she
realized what happened.
" Again? Damn it, they just don't give up, do
they?" Jordan asked. Danielle turned and faced him, a suspicious look on
her face.
" You don't look too surprised or too upset at
this," she accused and he shrugged a small smile on his handsome face.
" What can I say? If this is the only way I
can get you to listen to me, then I'm glad that Kasey is being so insistent on
this," he said, getting to his feet and walking slowly towards her.
Danielle glanced around warily. She was never this nervous around men but there
was something about this one man that made her extremely wary and extremely
nervous. She darted behind the piano as he stood with his hands on his hips,
smiling broadly as he watched her.
" Jordan, this is ridiculous. Kasey cannot
expect..."
" Why is what Kasey expects important? I think
its time we focused on what we expect."
" We don't expect anything."
" I do. I expect that by the time Kasey lets
us out of here, I will have convinced you to not only stay in Boston, but to
also live with me."
" Live with you? Are you crazy?" she
asked.
" Crazy? I doubt that. In love? Yes."
" In love? Jordan, you cannot be in love with
me. Just yesterday you were telling me that you were still in love with Terrie.
How can that..."
" You ask too many questions," he said as
he walked over to the desk and picked up the notepad he had been writing on
before she and Kasey had come in. He went over to the piano and sat down,
running his fingers very lightly over the keys. Danielle watched him, suspicion
still on her face.
" Then tell me the answer."
" Terrie. Well, yes I love her. But I'm not in
love with her. I thought I was. It was so easy for me to say that, to believe
that, as a way to protect myself from getting hurt again. Losing Terrie almost
killed me. I didn't want to go through that again. Falling in love was far too
painful for me. So I closed down, shut my heart off and told myself that I was
happier being without a woman. Until you walked into my life."
" That's sounding like a song I recall you
singing..."
" Danielle, must you be so darn
suspicious?" Jordan asked and she laughed nervously.
" You make me nervous."
" How do I do that?"
" By being you. Treating me the way you do.
One minute I'm the woman you wanted nothing more to do with, the next I'm the
woman you want to live with. What am I supposed to believe?"
" Believe whatever your heart is telling
you," he said as he started to lightly touch the piano keys, making them
sing with some nameless tune.
" It's telling me that I would be a fool to
trust you again," she said and Jordan laughed, his fingers working over
the keys.
" That's your head, not your heart. What is
your heart telling you?" he asked, the tune becoming louder. Danielle
watched him and sighed. What was the use? It wasn't as though she could keep
running forever.
" That I would be a fool if I didn't trust you
again," she admitted and he smiled.
" Finally. I love you Danielle. You may not
fully believe that right now, but we have a whole lifetime for me to prove it.
Now that you've admitted that you do want a chance with me, I'm going to do
everything within my power to keep you here in Boston, even if that means
following you around twenty-four hours a day," he said, still playing that
tune over and over again.
" Now that I've admitted that, I wouldn't want
to leave. Even if Kasey would let me. What are you playing Jordan?"
curiosity finally got the better of her and she sat down on the stool next to
him.
" A song."
" I can hear that. What song?"
" Something I wrote for you," he said and
she stared at him in surprise.
" Me? Why me?"
" Because I love you. And this is one way I
can show you this love," he said and started the tune again, this time,
adding lyrics to it...
' No other woman gets to me the way you do, Baby I
would change my ways, If I could be with you, Make me your lover, I'll make
your dreams come true, Baby I would change my ways, If I could be with you '
The music faded and they sat side by side on the
piano stool, not speaking, not touching until Jordan reached out and took
Danielle's hand in his. She looked up at him, looking him in his eyes and
seeing his sincerity there, his desire for her.
" Now does that show you at least some of the
love I have for you?" he asked softly, reaching up and running a finger
down her cheek.
" Okay so maybe I was being..."
" Yes or no will do Danielle," he said
teasingly and she smiled.
" Yes. Okay? A very resounding yes," she
said and he smiled, lowering his head to capture her mouth in a soft kiss.
" So you'll stay in Boston?" he asked,
placing soft butterfly kisses along her cheek.
" I'll stay in Boston," she agreed, letting
herself give in to the pleasure.
" And you'll move in with me?"
" I don't..." she began to disagree but
he stopped her by placing a finger over her lips.
" Kasey and Miguel may be about to become
parents. Will you want to be around them then?"
" Okay so I give in to you and move in with
you. Then what?"
" Let's just work that out when we get there.
First, I'd like to kiss you again, if I may," he asked and she laughed as
he lowered his head again and kissed her. This time it wasn't soft. It was a
full blown, tongues mating, passion exploding kiss...that was interrupted only
when Kasey and Miguel entered the room.
" That is so not the kiss of two people who
hate each other," she said and she couldn't stop the happiness that crept
into her voice. Danielle and Jordan broke apart and Jordan grinned cheekily at
her.
" No, it's not the kiss of two people who hate
each other. I guess you were right this time Kasey," he said and Miguel
groaned teasingly.
" Oh I cannot believe you told her that!"
" What?" Jordan asked, looking confused.
" You told her she was right. She will never
let you live that down," he said and moved out of the way of Kasey's elbow
as she glared at him.
" Yes she will," Jordan said and Miguel
and Danielle laughed.
" You have a lot to learn about Kasey,
Jordan," Danielle said.
" Well I have a lot of time in which to learn,
don't I?" he asked and Danielle nodded, kissing him again.
" Yes you do Mr. Knight. You certainly
do."
*****
The End
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