Finding Jordie: Things aren't always what they seem. (The Love Lies Bleeding Series Book 1)

by Harley, HJ

  “You are all mine, Jordan. Nobody else’s. Tell me. Please. I need to hear you say it.” He was breathing heavily. He moved us over to the bed.

  Through the panting and groaning I managed to speak. “I’m all yours. I don’t want anyone else but you, and I have never felt this way with or about anyone, Nathan.”

  He stopped and his blue eyes mesmerized me. I unwrapped myself from around him so I could stand. He pulled my shirt over my head and dropped it on the floor next to him. I grabbed his shirt and he bent over to make it easier for me to take it off him. I dropped it on top of mine.

  “Ever,” I added. My hands moved from his chest down to his jeans and I undid his button and pulled down his zipper, slipping my hand inside his boxers, tugging them and his jeans down. He had my bra off in a matter of seconds, pulling my jeans off with just as much urgency as was in his kiss.

  We were lost once again. And again.

  “I HAVE TO RUN next door quick before going to get Emma. I need to change my phone number today too. Please don’t let me forget,” I said to Nathan as I wrapped the towel around my wet hair. He stepped out of the shower behind me.

  “All right, I need to go back to the hotel today. I need a shave.” He gave the scruff that had grown in over the past few days a once over with his hand. “Can you get a sitter for Emma tonight?”

  “Yeah, I think I can. Why? What’s up?” I yanked the knots from my hair with a brush.

  “Jesus, Jordie, you’re going to rip your hair out that way.” He took the brush from my hand playfully then gathered the hair at the nape of my neck and began to brush it. “Anyway,” he continued while he brushed. “Tyler has a show on the west side. Want to come with me?”

  “Sure, but he’s playing at my place tomorrow night. We can see him then.”

  “I thought it would be nice if we went on an actual date. I can’t really take you to your own establishment. I know you well enough. You’ll be working the whole time.” He gave a small smile.

  He was right. “I’ll call Rachel’s friend Erin and see if she can sit for me.”

  “Great.” He smiled.

  “Oh hey! I totally forgot to ask you. What was that meeting about today with the photog from earlier, Todd was his name?” I spun to face him. He turned me back around so he could finish brushing.

  I held out my hand for the brush. “I got it, thanks.” I chuckled as he reluctantly handed it back to me.

  “Go easy. Well, remember I told you that one of the paps said if he could get one pic and an exclusive quote he’d back off for a while?”

  “I do.”

  “That was Todd. Being that he was so considerate and helped out the girl whose camera was stolen, I thought I’d repay him the favor by giving him an exclusive picture and quote. ‘Cause you know, he’s just trying to make a living and all.” He grinned.

  “He seems like a pretty decent guy,” I said.

  “Yeah, we bullshitted for a few minutes in there. He didn’t ask any invasive questions. Just your run-of-the-mill shit. Decent guy.” He nodded in agreement.

  “So what was this exclusive quote you gave him?” I tilted my head, curious.

  “I’m sure you’ll hear about it soon enough.”

  “Blindsiding me again, are you?” I said.

  He smacked my butt and walked out into my bedroom, grabbing his jeans off the floor. “You really want to know? Ruin all the fun?” He sulked.

  “I want to know. Please.”

  “Fine.” He gave in and walked back to the bathroom and stood in front of me as I finished putting gel in my hair. I flipped my head back up to stand upright. I had zero patience today for my usual blow-drying and straightening routine.

  “Wow, curls. Sexy.” He took a few strands between his fingers.

  Focus. “Don’t change the subject, mister.” I smacked his hand lightly.

  “I said that you are a gorgeous, brilliant business woman, who has raised an amazing kid on your own, and that you are hands down the best thing that has ever happened to me.”

  The best thing that has ever happened to me. I repeated it in my head. “You feel that way? About me? About us?” There was a shitload of wonder in my voice.

  “I do.” He wrapped his arms around me and kissed my forehead.

  My belly did a triple flip and made a perfect landing. “Me too,” I whispered, laying my head on the small fuzzy patch of hair on his chest. Reluctantly, I let him go. “Okay. I need to get next door.” I wiggled into my jeans.

  “I’ll be back here about eight to pick you up. How does that sound?”

  “That works,” I said as we made our way downstairs.

  I put my sweater on and grabbed my keys. Nathan followed me out the door.

  “Don’t forget to change your number today,” he reminded me. “And maybe tomorrow, since you’ll be changing your cell number too, we can get you a new phone? I’m sure the Smithsonian is dying to get yours on display.” He held the door to the outside open for me.

  “Oh my god, there is nothing wrong with my cell phone.” I defended my little silver flip phone once again.

  “Whatever you want, baby.” He smiled and gave me a quick kiss goodbye.

  “Well, look who decided to grace us with her presence,” Rachel yelled sarcastically as I entered the bar. She walked over a rack of glasses to the bar, Isobel right behind her toting an additional rack.

  “Holler.”

  “Afternoon, Isobel.” I smiled.

  “Hi, Jordie. This place is great. Thank you again so much!” Her voice rang with pure enthusiasm.

  “Did Rachel go over the hours and what’s expected of you?” I eyed Rachel jokingly.

  “Yes, heifer, I did.” Rachel rolled her eyes. Isobel laughed and went back to get more glasses. I took the opportunity to drill Rachel.

  “How’s she doing?” I asked quietly.

  “Actually she’s great so far. She has a warped sense of humor like us, so I think she’ll fit in just fine.” She cracked her knuckles. “And I don’t have to babysit her. I like that. She went looking for the ice machine and stock room on her own, filled the bays out here with ice, and started taking down the chairs and shit all by herself.” She grabbed a rag and began wiping down the bar. “The bitch makes a killer Cosmo, too.”

  I headed to my office. The voicemail indicator was blinking again. I hit speakerphone and began playing the messages. Delete. Delete. Delete. The fourteenth message consisted of the same bad connection crackling with breathing beneath it.

  “Fuuuck,” I exaggerated in a soft voice. Nathan was right, that’s creepy. Delete. Message fifteen through eighteen were the same thing. I was not changing the number to the bar, no way, so I’d just have to live with the creepy caller.

  “Rachel, what is Erin’s number?” I yelled out to her through the office door. She walked into the office and dropped her phone on my desk.

  “Jordan Spagnato, do you have a date that requires you to leave your love shack?” She raised her eyebrows.

  “I do,” I said.

  “Who are you?” She laughed.

  “I’ve been asking myself the same question all week.” I had that nut job-esqe smile plastered on my face.

  “He’s very talented,” I said to Nathan when we were back in the car after Tyler’s show. “I enjoyed that a lot. Thank you.”

  “Yeah, he is a pretty talented guy. We’ve been playing together for a long time. He moved to Sacramento when he was fifteen. We’ve been friends since.”

  “You play together?” I asked, curious.

  “Yep, I play guitar and piano as well.” He gave me sheepish grin.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” I slapped his arm.

  “You never asked,” he threw back at me, just as playful.

  “Well, I’ll need to hear that someday, Mr. Harper.” I rested my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes.

  We didn’t speak for the rest of the car ride to my place. We just sat there enjoying each other in silence.
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  “I’ll be back in ten minutes,” Nathan told the driver when we pulled up in front of my place.

  A pang of... I don’t know... what the fuck quickly ran through me.

  “What? You aren’t staying?” I blurted out in a hurry. What a strange reaction. Why was panic running through me? Suck it up. He’s going to have to leave eventually. I was saddened suddenly by this realization.

  “I didn’t want to invite myself to stay, Jordie.” He grinned and looked at the ground.

  “You don’t need an invite, Nathan. I haven’t invited you to stay yet, have I, nut job?” I smirked as I grabbed his chin and turned his head until he looked at me. “Emma’s asleep, and I’ll miss you.” I put on my best pouty face.

  “Well, I can’t resist a pouty face.” He kissed my protruding bottom lip.

  “Never mind then,” he told the driver. “You can go. Just pop the trunk, please.” He walked to the back of the car and pulled out a small bag.

  I laughed. “I see what you did here.”

  We both chuckled.

  “It was just in case.”

  “Yeah, yeah, sure.” I rolled my eyes as we walked up the steps, laughing.

  Erin was watching TV while she played with her phone. The look on her face when she saw Nathan enter was priceless. Wide eyed, jaw dropped, and one hundred percent dumbfounded. I immediately let out a chuckle at her expression.

  “It’s okay, Erin. You can close your mouth now.” I took out my wallet from my purse. “Thank you for coming on such late notice.” I handed her some money.

  “Um, yeah, any... time.” Her eyes had a glazed look in them.

  Oh, I know how you feel, honey.

  “I’m sorry, can I take a pic of... a pic with you?” She struggled to get the words out.

  “Sure, Erin, is it?” He smiled wide, absolutely amused by her reaction.

  “I didn’t think... I didn’t think you’d be here.” She stuttered then mumbled something to herself about shutting up. He took a picture with her and she dropped her keys twice as she left.

  “Thanks again.” I closed the door.

  I noticed that the light was blinking on my machine with four messages. I had erased the old messages and turned the machine back on after I’d changed the number.

  “First message,” the nice computer-voiced woman informed me as I shook out of my sweater and threw my keys on the table. Nathan walked in the kitchen.

  It was the same crackling bad connection heavy breathing, except this time there was a muffled noise in the background.

  “What the fuck?” I whispered. “This is like the tenth call I’ve gotten like this. There were a bunch on the voicemail at the bar and now here?” I said to Nathan as he walked out of the kitchen with a beer.

  The next three messages were the same thing. I picked up the phone to check the caller ID. “000-000-0000” was all that had registered.

  “Seriously, this is creeping me out, Nathan.” I put the phone back on the charger.

  “Probably someone messing with you. Just remember to change your number in the morning.” He took a sip of his beer.

  “I did change my number this afternoon.”

  He stopped mid sip and held it there for a moment, slowly bringing the beer bottle down away from his lips.

  “All right then, change it again. Problem solved.” He smiled, but it didn’t hide the obvious concern on his face.

  “It’s fucking weird and creepy,” I said again after I checked on Emma.

  We were on our way up the steps.

  “Oh, by the way, I took the liberty of calling a fire escape repair company. They’ll be out here Monday to fix that.” He pointed out the window while he kicked off his shoes.

  “What? Why? I like it like that. I know nobody can get up here.”

  “Well, if there’s a fire, nobody can get out of here either,” he argued. “Besides, I ordered a fold-up ladder. Nobody will be able to get up it, only down.”

  Damn, he was right. “Okay, I guess.”

  Wednesday and Thursday were relatively quiet days. Aside from walking Emma out for school, and a trip or two to the bar, Nathan and I stayed inside and out of sight. Nathan had bought some video game system that I had to admit was pretty cool. We didn’t need controllers—when we danced in front of it apparently that meant you were playing the game. We stayed up with Emma until about ten on Thursday night playing that.

  “You’re a bad influence, Nathan.” I poked him in the shoulder with my index finger. “This kid never stayed awake past eight-thirty before you showed up.” I stole a quick kiss from him before he turned off TV. I was just about to shut the lights off when I noticed there were messages again.

  “Hang on,” I said. I still hadn’t turned the ringer back on after Tuesday night’s messages. Out of sight, out of mind. Besides, getting to know Nathan was a much better use of time than obsessing over some menacing phone calls. My cell was still off, probably dead by now. I didn’t have voice mail set up on it either. I sure was patting myself on the back for that one.

  “What the... eighteen messages?” I jabbed at the play button as if it was going to bite me.

  All eighteen messages were the same thing—that bad connection paired with heavy breathing.

  Nathan reached over and deleted them all at once. “Don’t worry about it. It’s most likely some pap trying to get a rise out of us for a story.” He turned off the light. “Forget about it.” He locked his fingers in mine and led the way upstairs. “Call and have it changed again tomorrow.”

  Nathan and I took Emma to my sister’s in Jersey Friday after school. Kelly had invited us to dinner, so I took the night off.

  As we drove, I flipped through a few stations until I got to some “‘80s, ‘90s, and today” station.

  “Oh, I know this song,” I announced proudly. Nathan and Emma laughed.

  “What?”

  “It’s nothing. I think it’s incredible that you have accomplished all that you have considering how well you’ve closed out the rest of the world,” Nathan said.

  I shook my head and gazed out the window. Whatever, Rachel Junior.

  “Ha! I know this song, too!” It was “Stranded” by Plumb. As I sang along, the chorus couldn’t describe how I felt any better. My feelings for him just hit me, and I had to be with him, and if he ever left, I’d be lost. Wow. I peeked over at Nathan and he grinned, not taking his eyes off the road.

  “Yup.” He nodded. That one word said it all. It was all he had to say. I knew he felt the same way I did.

  “I don’t see why I needed this fancy thing,” I whined as I attempted to figure out what all the buttons did on my new cell phone.

  Nathan chuckled. “For one, it will make texting me a hell of a lot easier with the full keyboard.”

  “Whatever. We never text.”

  “Well, in a week I’ll be going to L.A. for a few days, and when I get back I’ll be working,” he reminded me.

  My stomach sank. “Oh yeah. That. Womanizing tycoon,” I whispered, my eyes fixated back out the window.

  “What’s wrong?”

  I could tell he was concerned. “Nothing.” I was still watching the trees as we flew by them.

  “She’s jealous,” Emma shouted over the DVD that was playing in the back.

  “Emma Lynn Spellman. You mind your own business, young lady.” I scolded her, partly because she was right—I was jealous—but mainly because it was nothing she should be concerned with.

  “You’re jealous?” Nathan erupted into a full outburst of laughter.

  “What the fuck, Nathan? You’re laughing at me? Even if I was... jealous.” I spit the word out of my mouth like it was poison. “You would laugh at me?”

  “I’m laughing because that is A: adorable and B: ludicrous.” I could hear the smile he wore on his lips.

  I stretched my hand out and gave him the finger, my eyes still fixated out the window. Without any warning he pulled over. We were on the Garden State Parkway jus
t before exit 98.

  “You can’t just pull over here.” I raised my voice with a hint of attitude in my tone.

  Emma took off her headphones. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing. Watch your movie, honey,” I said.

  “Whatever,” I heard her mumble. She put the headphones back on.

  “Baby, seriously,” Nathan said, “it’s only work. I don’t even know who I’m working with yet. Relax, please. I don’t like to think that my work will upset you.” He grabbed my chin and gently angled my face up so I was looking at him. The sincerity that filled his blue eyes washed away any insecurity I had—for the time being anyhow.

  “All right,” I managed to croak out. His eyes caused my mind to run amuck, so complete sentences weren’t in the cards at that moment.

  “I’d let you in on a little secret, but I’m pretty positive you’d really think I was a nut job.” He smirked and leaned over to give me a smooch.

  “What secret?” I asked after our mouths separated.

  “In due time.” He winked.

  I sulked playfully as I rested back in my seat. We pulled off the shoulder on to the road and continued on to Kelly’s. When we arrived at her house my niece and nephew ran out to greet us. Kelly shouted for them to slow down as she walked out behind them. My niece Alison flung Emma’s door open, her mouth running a mile a minute as usual, and my nephew John opened my door.

  “Hi, Aunt Jordie.” He reached up and planted a quick peck on my cheek before jumping right back out.

  “Hi, sweetie.” I climbed out.

  “Hi, Aunt Jordie.” Alison blew me a kiss before all three of them ran to where Nathan was leaning against the truck laughing.

  “I love it. ‘Ant’ Jordie.” He teased about our “accent.”

  “Excuse me, we don’t end every sentence with ‘dude, chill’.” I shook my head.

  “Nor do we, or at least we haven’t since the eighties.” He stuck his tongue out at me.