Chapter Seven
Kiora
planned her entrance perfectly. She had
been following JC all day from one appearance to another, studio to studio,
just observing the scene and him. She
was dying to get to him and any clue to catch whoever was doing this.
Right now she
was in a restaurant that he was having lunch at. He was sitting with his assistant; it was the perfect time to
“bump” into him. She had taken measures
not to be seen by him, she had to plan it just right.
Finally she
got up and went passed his table. He
had been sitting with his back to her and didn’t see her till she was past his
table.
“Kee? Is that
you?” JC called out to her and she
turned around gracefully, flashing a bright smile,
“Hey Jace, this is unexpected.” She went back over to his table as he stood up.
“I thought you were in Paris for another week!” He said as he gave her a hug and a kiss on
the cheek.
“I finished early and was sent here to tie up some loose
ends. I thought you were going to
Orlando today.”
“I had some stuff to clear up here in New York and planned
an extra day.” He looked around the
restaurant, “Are you here with anyone?”
“No, actually I was eating by myself.”
“Well, now you’re eating with us.” He grinned,
“Us? Care to
introduce?” She teased playfully,
“Oh yeah, this is Jason, he’s cool and my assistant.”
Kiora shook the young man’s hand, “It’s nice to finally meet
a cool person, Jason.” She said
playfully,
“It’s nice to finally meet the woman C won’t shut up
about.” Jason smirked and Kiora turned to
JC,
“Me? Really? That’s
kind of sweet.”
“What can I say, I’m a sweet guy.” JC shrugged,
“Oh and so modest too.”
She laughed
They sat and
had lunch together. Kiora couldn’t help
but notice how JC couldn’t stop touching her.
His arm was resting behind her or touching her arm. Then he was holding her hand under the
table, it was…nice? Was that they word
to describe it? Kiora wasn’t one for
affection in public, but with JC, it wasn’t tacky, it was tasteful and
sweet. There was something about him
that was so endearing and genuine. She
couldn’t put her finger on it, but it was drawing her in big time.
“Kee what are your plans for tonight or rather the rest of
your trip in New York?” JC asked,
“I’m finished my work for my father and all I had planned
was some shopping till I have to catch my flight tonight.”
“Oh,” he frowned, “You’re leaving tonight?”
“Yeah, I’m needed in LA for a meeting in the morning.”
“You sound busier than me.” He teased,
“Uh, C?” Jason
interrupted,
“Yeah man?” JC replied
looking over at his assistant.
“I’m gonna go visit my friend since you look like you’re
going to be busy for a while.” Jason
smirked and JC returned the grin,
“Oh yeah man. Have
fun and call me when you get back.”
“Will do. See ya, it
was nice meeting you Kiora. I know I’ll
be seeing you again.” Jason said
standing up and waving at her,
“Same here, bye Jason.”
She waved and after he left she turned back to JC, “You were saying?”
“Oh yeah, I wanted to hang out, but if you already have
plans…”
“Jace, it’s shopping.
Not like I can’t do that any old time.”
“So we can hang out?”
“I think I can fit it in.”
She flirted,
“Can I convince you to stay the night?” He said leaning in close and she pulled
away,
“No. I have to leave
tonight.” She stood up, “Come on
cowboy, let’s blow this popsicle stand.”
“What?” He laughed
as she stood up next to her.
“Just a saying.” She
shrugged with a smile.
They couldn’t
find anything they both really wanted to do in the city, so they went back to
JC’s hotel room to hang out for a while.
Kiora laid back on the couch, “This was such a good idea.”
“To come back to my hotel room?” He wiggled his eyebrows at her and she threw a pillow at him,
“Yes, but because I really didn’t want to hang out with
other people around. I like it when
it’s you and me. Plus this is the first
time I’ve really felt relaxed in a while.
It’s nice.” JC laid down on top
of her, propping himself above her with his elbows,
“So, I relax you?”
“Yeah, you do, plus you’re pretty nice to look at.” She grinned,
“You ain’t bad yourself, Miss Jordan.” He grinned back and took one of her hands in
between his,
“I’m glad that I relax you though. You sound like you really need it.”
“You have no idea.”
She said shaking her head, “I wish I could stay here forever.”
“Then why don’t we?”
He smiled, “We just won’t leave this hotel room and say to hell to
everyone else.”
“Nice in theory, but there are bills to pay, clubs to run,
family to look after-“ JC kissed her,
“I’ve decided that you worry too much.” He said and she smiled,
“Worry about what?”
She pulled him down into another kiss,
“Mmm, Kee, what can I do to convince you to stay the night
with me?” He asked in between kisses
and Kiora pulled away,
“Nothing. I really
have to go to my meetings tomorrow.”
“Can’t you do a conference call?”
“No, I run the meetings.”
“What if your plane gets delayed?”
“It won’t.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because the forecast said that it’s going to be clear and
dry for the next two days and I own the plane.
Plus you’re leaving for Orlando in the morning.”
“But we’d still have tonight to spend together. I just really like being with you and I
don’t want it to end.”
“You think I do?
Come on, spending the night with you versus spending the night on a
plane to get off and go right to a meeting?
If I had a choice I would stay with you, but I can’t.”
JC sighed, “Okay, I guess.
This is so nice.”
“I know what you mean.
I’m so comfortable around you.
That doesn’t happen too often with me.”
“Really? You always
seem comfortable with people.”
“Big crowds are way different than one on one. With you, I feel like I’ve known you for a
long time.”
“I know, to think we only met two weeks ago.”
“Exactly.”
“It was fate.” JC
decided,
“What?”
“We were meant to meet.”
“How do you figure that?”
“Well, you happened to come to our promo party. That wasn’t planned.”
“Might as well have been.
My father hasn’t gone to a promo party in a year. He always makes me go one way or another.”
“Okay, then how do you explain us being in the same city,
same restaurant, at the same time unexpectedly?”
‘Because I planned it
that way.’ Kiora thought, “We were
eating in one of my father’s restaurants.”
“But the timing Kee.
We both thought that the other was in a different place, but we ended up
together. That’s fate.”
“No, that’s a coincidence or at the very most wishful
thinking. We both really wanted to see
each other, so it happened.”
“Skeptical huh?” He
smiled,
“I just don’t believe in fate, that things are meant to
be. Things happen because I make them
happen, not some stupid cosmic force.”
She retorted,
“So you made our meeting happen today?” He smiled and she grinned back,
“Yeah, didn’t you know I’m stalking you?”
“I’ve never had such a beautiful stalker before. You can follow me around anywhere you
want. Though you just might find me
stalking you.”
“Mmm, what a nice proposition.”
“How about you stalk me to Orlando?”
“I can’t Jace, just drop it.” She sighed,
“Can you blame a guy?
I’m enjoying myself and I don’t want it to end. I don’t know when I’m going to see you
again.”
“We both knew that it wouldn’t be easy.”
“I know, I just didn’t think I’d miss you this much.”
Kiora sighed, “I miss you too.” She said softly and laid her head down. JC stroked her hair and brushed a kiss over her forehead.
“When I get a few days, I’ll come out and visit you. Are you planning any trips soon?”
“I’m not planning any, doesn’t mean my father isn’t. I think I’m stationed in LA, at least for the
next week. I’ve got too much paper work
to catch up on to be doing much else.”
“What do you actually do?”
“What do you mean?”
“Your work, what you do for a living.”
“Oh, I’m a global resource manager.”
“Sounds impressive.”
“It’s nothing much really.
I keep tabs on clubs, resorts, the restaurants. Make sure everything is going well, but I
also pick up the slack when my father doesn’t want to do something.”
“Like appearances.”
“Yeah, and I also cover for Danny J, because we all know how
his work ethic is.” She retorted with a
roll of her eyes,
“That doesn’t sound fair to you. When do you get to have a life?”
“I don’t, but I don’t really have a choice.”
“You need a vacation.”
“In Orlando?” She
teased,
“Hell yeah, you can stay at my place. I’ll even buy you your own toothbrush.” He teased back,
“Ooo, big spender.
If that doesn’t make you want to pack your bags.” She laughed,
“I’m not a good enough draw?” He playfully pouted,
“Yeah you are.” She
smiled softly and kissed him, “You’re good enough to draw me any where.” She whispered.