See Her (Turn it Up Book 1)

by Natalie Parker

  I close out of my accounts, and get up to pour another cup of caffeine goodness for myself. This is one of the things Erin warned me about, that comes part and parcel with this life. I hate that this is one of the components of a new normal, but Turn it Up only keeps rising, and it’s a strong possibility it will only get more intense and more frequent. She and George have been through a lot and still love each other fiercely, and they face the adversity as a team. I know that’s what Jack and I need to do, and we can do it, by ignoring those that try to bring us down and listening to no one but each other.

  Last night’s conversation did so much for me, for us. Neither one of us put on a brave face for the other, but instead let ourselves be raw and real. It was then that we connected, united, and grabbed on just a little bit tighter. I take my cup to the living room and roll out my yoga mat. I sit down and rest my hands on my knees, taking a few moments to do some meditative breathing. I fold myself into child’s pose and continue the breathing exercises before moving into some more relaxing poses, gradually working my way into a full balancing routine full of strengthening poses and gratifying stretches.

  When I feel relaxed and level, I head back to my laptop and get to work. I have two pieces I want to complete before I’m busy traveling tomorrow, and decide that the joy of packing will be my reward for finishing them. The knowledge that I will be with my husband tomorrow is more than enough motivation, and I power through. By three ‘o’ clock, I’ve submitted my work and can go without working for the next two days. With a feeling of immense satisfaction and anticipation, I head to the bedroom and pull out my suitcase. As I start packing, I feel elation spread through me. I’m strong, so is Jack, and so is our marriage, and no dipshit reporter is going to take that away.

  Jack

  “Jack Krasinski messes up again!”

  “Turn it Up’s front man goes off the Deep End!”

  “Jack can’t stop partying!”

  These bullshit headlines are all over my phone’s screen, and apparently it stemmed from a story claiming I was out last night, whooping it up like a frat boy in Baton Rouge. It was one thing when I was messing up and making myself look bad, but for the tabloids to go out and write a horseshit story out of nothing but the leftover scraps from the one written last week? That just shows how desperate a rag can be to sell gossip. The sad part is, it’s trending, which means the public is jumping all over it. Surely Mayzie has heard this, but she hasn’t contacted me with a call or text at all. I don’t know if that’s good or bad, but she knows what I was doing last night; I was spending time with her. We arrived in Tampa a couple of hours ago and I sent her a text letting her know. I’m alone on the bus. We’re not due for our sound check for twenty minutes, so I decide to give her a call. She picks up on the first ring.

  “Hi baby,” I hear her voice answer cheerfully, like she hasn’t had anything negatively affect her today.

  “Hey. You okay?”

  “Yeah, I’m fine. Why?”

  “I thought maybe you’d seen that new story trending about me.”

  “Oh yeah,” she says cynically. “I did. The desperation is sad.”

  “Hell yeah, it is. But you’re okay?” I feel the need to make sure nothing upsets her, or keeps her from getting down here.

  “Well, I was annoyed at first, sure. It’s a load of fucking bullshit. But as long as we’re in this industry living this life, this is going to happen. And with the way you guys are blowing up, I think we can bet on it being a regular thing, so we have to learn to shrug it off.” I love how much she said the word ‘we.’

  “You’re so amazing. And you’re right, unfortunately. But I can promise you this, I’m not giving them any ammo, ever again. I’ve learned my lesson, and you’re too important to me to put myself in any sit-,”

  “Jack,” she cuts me off. “It’s ok. We’re ok. I know you, and you don’t need to sell me on this. This is the part where we move forward.”

  Shaking my head at the wonder of this woman, I follow her lead and change the subject.

  “What are you doing? Are you packing? You better be packing, woman,” I tease.

  “I’m paaacking,” she practically sings. I love it.

  “Oh yeah, I’m going to see my girl soon! When’s your flight?”

  “At the asscrack of dawn tomorrow morning.”

  “You’ll probably beat us to Miami then. You have the hotel information?”

  “Yep. All set.” God, I feel so good right now. I have a feeling I’m going to play the show of my life tonight.

  “Mayzie?”

  “Yeah?”

  “I’m serious, you’re amazing for not letting that shit get to you today. I’m proud of you. I’m proud of us.”

  “Well it’s easy when I kind of know what you were actually up to last night.” Yeah… I think, and I have proof.

  “You know what, I’m thinking I’m going to respond to the story. Do you trust me?”

  “We should just ignore it Jack, and not give them a reaction.”

  “And most days that’s what we’re going to do, but I think I’ve got a way to take them down a peg and show people how easily a story can be fabricated out of thin air. Do you trust me?”

  She lets out a sigh but says “Yes. I trust you.”

  “That’s my girl. Listen, I gotta run to sound check. I’ll text you before we go on tonight.”

  “Sounds good. Have a great show, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “You bet your cute ass you will,” I flirt into the phone. “I love you.”

  “Love you too.”

  We hang up, and I look at my watch. I have about five minutes to get to sound check. I step off the bus and start heading to the stage, opening my social media apps on my phone as I go.

  Mayzie

  By six ‘o’clock, I’m packed. Suitcases and laptop are by the door, travel clothes for tomorrow are laid out. I’m so excited, I can barely hold still. My flight is at six o’ clock tomorrow morning and Ian is going to pick me up at four o’ clock. He’s not happy about the hour, but he’s ecstatic at the idea of him and Tina staying at my house with the dogs. While it’s not that big, their apartment is a shoebox, so they are excited about having the extra space for a while. I’ll just have to burn our sheets when we come back.

  I start going through the cupboards, looking for something easy to make for dinner. My phone pings on the counter and I pick it up to see it’s a text from Annie. It’s very short and blunt, with only two words:

  Check Instagram.

  Uh oh. I pause for a minute, before my phone pings again with another text from her: It’s ok ;)

  I bring up the app on my phone and look in my feed, and am surprised to see a post by Jack. He’s not a social media kind of guy, but one of the things Ron encouraged in the beginning was for all the guys to establish some kind of online presence, to better connect with fans. Jack obliged and set up an account but doesn’t post much. But here I am, looking at a photo of myself, snuggled in our bed and sporting a sleepy smile. Oh, that shithead. But I smile when I read the caption:

  Jkrasninski: For those of you with nothing better to care about, this is what I was really doing last night. It’s called ‘quality time’ with the only woman for me. Nice try, Scope.

  It’s short and sweet but gets the point across. Not to mention, the timestamp of the screenshot is visible. Hopefully it opens some eyes to how easily a gossip site can manipulate those that follow it. I decide I’m okay with this, and send Jack a text.

  Me: Slick

  I’m surprised to get a quick response.

  Jack: We got this, xo

  We do.

  30

  Mayzie

  By eleven thirty the next morning, I’m in a cab in Miami heading from the airport to the hotel. A couple of texts from Jack last night and this morning have kept me informed of the band’s timetable, and it looks like I’ll be getting there just an hour or so before they do. The cab finally pulls up to the front d
oor of a Westin, and I get out to grab my luggage. Pulling it behind me, I go through the automatic door and head to the front desk to check in. After checking lists and instructions, along with my I.D., the desk clerk finally concedes that I am who I say I am and that I’m supposed to be here, and gives me a key card to mine and Jack’s room. I take the elevator to the 14th floor and find our room near the end of the hall. I swipe the card and enter a room that is spacious, but I notice there’re two beds. Oh crap. I really hope we don’t have to room with the one of the other guys. Deciding not to worry about that, I grab my large suitcase and heft it onto the closer bed. I get out my toiletries and take them to the bathroom to set them up. While I’m in there, I notice it’s a decent sized bathroom, with a roomy walk-in shower. That looks inviting, I wonder if I have time…

  I grab a towel, and go back into the bedroom to strip out of my clothes. I get naked, and am just securing the towel around me as I hear a key card being swiped outside the door. I look up to see Jack walking through the door, looking all kinds of cool and sexy. He’s in dark jeans, a black t-shirt, and has his duffle dangling off one shoulder. He has all the laid-back confidence of the first time I saw him, and I feel my blood pumping and flowing throughout my body as my heartrate picks up. He’s also wearing his aviators, which he immediately reaches up and snatches off his face as his eyes meet mine.

  “Whoo!” he shouts, dropping his bag, and closing the distance between us in three long strides. I giggle with sheer happiness as he gathers me up in his arms, lifting me off the floor. His arms are wrapped tightly around me and his face is buried in my neck. I have both my arms wrapped tightly around his neck, and I snuggle my face as close to him as I can, trying my best to breathe him in. He lets out a long sigh into my skin.

  “I missed you so much,” he says, his voice slightly muffled. “I can’t believe you’re here.” We stand there, holding each other, murmuring ‘I love you’ and other affectionate endearments. After basking in the reunion for a few moments, I feel his lips moving against the skin of my neck, and I lean my head back enough for him to kiss me long and hard on the mouth. Joyous relief settles over me as I let myself get swept away.

  He sets me down and takes my face in his hands and tilts his head to the side, stroking his tongue against mine. His hands travel down my neck and to my bare shoulders. They glide down my arms and back up again before one hand goes to the back of my neck while the other yanks at the knot in the front of my towel. He pulls it off and away, leaving me completely naked in front of him. His mouth finally leaves mine, and travels down my neck, while his hands roam everywhere else; up and down my back, up my sides, and back around me again. His lips move all over my neck and shoulders, before he sits down on the bed, pulling me by my hips to stand between his legs.

  “Oh my God,” he says, looking up at me and squeezing my hips. “FaceTime can go fuck itself. It can’t even compare to this.” He leans forward to kiss my stomach. I close my eyes, and let my hands rest on his shoulders, enjoying the feel of his hands and his mouth all over me.

  “Just keep touching me, Jack. It feels so good.” He groans in response, and I feel the familiar warmth of ecstasy that only Jack can give me slowly spreading through my body. He leans over to plant a kiss on my hip, while one hand comes up to gently cup my breast. His other arm comes around behind me, and abruptly swings me around onto the bed as he lowers his body over mine. My hands go to his shoulders, and then up into his hair as his mouth finds my breast and closes gently over it. A pulsing need shoots right to my sex and a moan escapes my mouth. He brings his mouth hungrily to mine and more fervent kissing ensues. I’m moaning and panting now, and the need to feel his skin against mine is achingly prominent.

  “I can’t touch you enough,” he says, guiding his hand down my stomach.

  “You need to catch up, husband,” I say, giving his t-shirt a tug.

  “Damn right, I’m your husband,” he says, his lips teasing mine as his hand travels down between my legs to glide against my smooth, wet clit. “And I’m about to show you that.”

  I run my hands up under his shirt, trying to touch what I can of his bare chest and his abs. He finally shows mercy and sits up long enough to yank it up and off of him before coming back down close to me. He returns his fingers to my entrance and pushes two of them just inside. I toss my head back and cry out, as his lips find my neck again.

  “That’s it, baby,” he groans, “Let me know how much you missed being with me. I need to hear it.”

  “Yes, Jack. God, I want you so bad.”

  “You want me inside you?” he asks, his lips against mine now. I whimper and nod. “Damnit, everything about you feels so good.” He continues working his fingers in and out of me, driving me out of my mind. My hands frantically move to the front of his jeans, trying to undo his belt. He pulls his hand away from me, leaving me throbbing and empty. He gets his jeans open and pulls them down along with his boxer briefs. He climbs back on top of me giving me his full weight, making this wave of satisfaction wash over me. What I wanted more than anything these last three weeks, was to feel his body pressed against mine to the fullest. He cages my head in with his forearms as he lifts up just slightly to kiss me some more. I can feel his hardness pressing between my thighs, so warm, thick and smooth. He rolls us so that I’m lying on top of him and he wraps his arms tightly around me, keeping us pressed together, threading one hand into my hair. “God, I just want to spend the rest of the day touching you, but I can’t last much longer. Are you ready for me, baby?”

  “Yes, oh God yes, just stay close to me.”

  “Definitely,” he says, sitting up so that I’m straddling his lap. He reaches between us to line himself up and pushes slowly inside. I lower myself just as slowly, both of us taking our time to enjoy this part. We’re both breathing heavily as he fills me up. Once he’s in as far as he can get, I drop my head back and let go. I moan and cry out as we start to move together, him pushing up inside me, and me rolling my hips against him. He buries his face in my chest with his arms wrapped tightly around me. “It’s so good... Damnit, Mayzie it’s so good,” he says, keeping our pace steady as he thrusts up into me harder. I wrap my arms around his neck and lean into him, trying to stay close. We continue moving slow but deep, with Jack burying himself to the hilt each time. Each thrust feels better than the last, the pleasure intensifying more and more, driving us to move a little faster. I’m beginning to feel that tell-tale pressure deep down inside. Just then, he leans up and lays me back on the other bed, coming down on top of me, our bodies once again pressed together tightly, my breasts mashed against his chest, as he drives in harder than ever before. Some pain comes with the force of his thrusting, but it’s just making the pleasure unbelievable. I give it back to him by dragging my nails down his back which he seems to love, given the groaning and hissing I get as a response.

  “Maze, Maze… fuck!”

  “Oh my God, Jack. Oh my God,” I cry. And when I don’t think he can go any deeper, he plunges into me with so much force, I see stars. I explode around him as an earth-shattering orgasm overtakes me. It feels like everything around us is rocking and crumbling with the force of our climax as Jack slams into me several more times, cursing his way through his own release. I feel him pulse as he unloads into me, his forehead pressed against mine. My breathing is deep and ragged as I come down, allowing him to collapse on top of me.

  Jack

  My heart is still racing and our breathing still hasn’t steadied when I roll us onto our sides. I’m always so afraid of crushing her. Other than our first time together, nothing can parallel this. I’ve never taken her so hard before, and I’m hoping I didn’t hurt her. I just missed her so much, I felt like I couldn’t get close enough, deep enough. I take this time to just look at her, something I haven’t done since I walked in here a half hour ago that maybe I should’ve. I was just so caught up in holding her and feeling her, I lost control. I gaze into her eyes, which look glassy and happy, a
s I run my hand through her hair. I let out a long sigh, like everything is finally right in the world. Because it is; in mine anyway.

  “You’re here,” is all I say, because I’m too relieved and worn out to think of anything better to say.

  “I’m here,” she says, giving me that smile that cripples me. “Where I should be.” She looks so sated and beautiful right now; I wonder how the hell I went three weeks without this.

  “I don’t want to seem selfish, but will you come to sound check? I’m not ready to be away from you again yet.”

  “I’d love to.”

  “Thank you. You’re so sweet,” I say leaning in to kiss her. “Speaking of which, that was awfully considerate of you, being already naked when I got here,” I joke, resting a hand on her hip. She rolls her eyes and laughs.

  “I was about to take a shower,” she says.

  “Oh? Well, I’m more than happy to help you with that,” I say leaning into kiss her. We spend the next half hour under the spray of hot water. I wash her hair, and hug her back against my chest while we catch up on how things have been going with each other. We also make good use of the spacious shower.

  It’s unseasonably warm for early November here in Miami, and I dress in a black tank and my camo shorts for sound check. I look in the mirror and catch a glimpse of Mayzie behind me. She has her back to me, and is stepping into a flowery sundress. Her ass is covered in pink lace and she’s in a black strapless bra. Now I’m hard as a rock. Again. I turn around and step over to her as she turns around, smoothing it down. I capture her around her waist and pull her toward me.