by C. C. Brown
When I entered the suite, Jason was awake and showered. Breakfast was sitting on the table and he greeted me at the door, picking me up by my waist and kissing me softly. We took our seats to full platters of pancakes, bacon, eggs, and orange juice. Jason was in an exceptionally cheerful mood, and while I would hate to spoil it, I had to ask about last night, and the fall back from the video. I looked down at my food, trying to quickly concoct a plan to ease the topic into our conversation, but Jason broke me from my thoughts.
“Worried about the video?” He asked, calmly, throwing me off guard.
“How could you tell?”
“Well, you’ve been tip toeing around me, and you won’t even look me in the eye. I see the wheels turning…” He took and caressed my hand. “I’m not really worried about it. My phone has been on overload all morning, but I’ll deal with that later. Today, I want to shower you before we have to head back to reality.”
“Jace,” I sarcastically said, and noticed his eyebrows quickly rise. He placed his fork down, leaned back in his chair, and placed his hands on his stomach.
“Why are you calling me Jace?” he asked coldly.
“Oh, is that name reserved for Stacey?” I saw his jaw tense and with it, his mood shifted dramatically.
“Why are you bringing her up?”
I took out my phone and went to his Facebook page, showing him the video she posted on his wall. He looked at it, but didn’t react, and just handed the phone back to me. He got up and went into the bathroom, leaving me at the table feeling angry and just as empty as when I entered the room.
I walked over to the bathroom where he was brushing his teeth.
“I don’t know why you are so secretive and vague about her, but she obviously still feels something, and yes, that pet name bothered me. The fact that she is in San Diego bothers me.”
Jason rinsed out his mouth and turned to look at me, holding out his arms in a show of defeat.
“What do you want me to do? Banish her back to Heath? I don’t have that kind of power Cara.”
“I would love for you to cut off contact with her.”
“I would love for you to do the same with Chase, but we don’t always get what we want now do we?” He walked over to the bed and started loading our clothes into our bags. “Get showered, we have some fun planned for today.” And with that, he walked out of the room with his bags in tow.
<>
When I was finally ready, Jason took my bags and led me down to the lobby where Chelsea and Hunter were waiting for us. We were all dressed rather casually, in shorts and tank tops, and strolled to the Raptor. We roared down the Vegas strip, and when we reached our destination, we were in the parking garage of the Bellagio Hotel. Chelsea could barely contain her excitement, as she walked briskly though the double doors down to the shopping areas. Whatever this showering was, Jason had obviously filled her in, and she could barely contain her excitement. She wasted no time pulling me in front of the Tiffany & Co. store. I turned to find a smile plastered on Jason’s face as he whispered, “I do believe you have over $17,000 to blow before we head back to San Diego.”
I was floored. I had never contemplated spending that kind of money, in fact, I felt guilty that he thought I wanted to spend that kind of money – his money.
“I can’t…” and he put his finger over my mouth.
“You can and you will. Chelsea will help you pick some things out.” I turned to her and she pulled me inside, her eyes darting from counter to counter at the endless possibilities awaiting us in the store.
“Chels, I can’t spend this kind of money. And I feel bad with you here and Jason spending like crazy on me.” I whispered into her ear.
“I don’t really give a rat’s ass Cara. This is the ultimate dream come true, and you will embrace this. Let’s look around. I hear you’re going to Texas for his parents’ gala… so let’s get you some accessories.”
A beautiful, tall, red head with eyes almost the color of the trademark Tiffany’s box came walking up, looking very sleek, polished, and sophisticated. In a very soft voice she introduced herself as Natalie and asked what she could help us with. Jason, standing in the back with Hunter shouted out, “It’s all at her disposal.” Natalie smiled brightly and led us over to the cuffs and bangles.
My eye stopped on a beautiful, pink metal, Tiffany inscribed bangle. It was simple, yet elegant. Natalie took the bangle out of the glass casing and helped fit it around my wrist. I loved it; the feel, the fit -- but not the price. The tag showed $1,750 and I nearly laughed with the mere thought of spending that kind of money on a piece of jewelry that wasn't even an everyday piece. Chelsea sensed my hesitation and politely told Natalie, “She’ll take this one.” I turned to look at her and she winked at me, and then moved on to the other pieces of jewelry.
All in all, I ended up buying the bangle, a ring, and two necklaces -- one for me and one for Chelsea. There was no way that I could spend all of this money and not buy something for my best friend. After taxes, the grand total came up to a little more than $3,000. My heart started racing, as I had never spent that type of money, on a whim like this before. Jason happily whipped out his credit card and paid the tab, giving Natalie a nice commission, I’m sure. He handed me the bag, kissed my forehead, and then took my hand in his, leading me out of the store.
“Where to?” Chelsea asked, looking around through squinted eyes thanks to the bright Vegas sun.
Music started playing and the water fountains for the Bellagio Water Show shot up, sending water flailing in all directions.
“Right here,” Jason said, as he wrapped his arms around my waist and rested his chin on my shoulder. “This show was the plan last night, but, we all know what happened.” We all laughed and stood, lost in utter bliss, as we took in the splendor of the masterfully crafted show. Chelsea whipped out her cell phone and snapped a couple of pictures of Jason and I snuggling, kissing, and just enjoying being in the presence of one another. I did the same for her and Hunter.
We continued our walk and made our way to The Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian. Chelsea went straight for a shop by the name of Cache.
“You need a dress for the gala, so we’re going to get you one.”
“And, find something a little more cocktail style as well, please?” Jason asked Chelsea as she pulled me into the store. A blond saleswoman greeted us and after explaining what we were looking for, sent us to the far corner to try on gowns for the gala. I tried on a pink empire wasted dress that did nothing for my figure; a tight, one-shouldered red dress that I was sure was more for a bachelorette party than a gala.
Chelsea wrestled down a black and silver laced mermaid style dress that sent my heart into flutters. I tried it on and felt its perfection as I gazed at myself in the mirror. Chelsea looked like a proud mom helping her daughter pick out her wedding dress. After spending so much at Tiffany’s, the $500 price tag on the mermaid dress didn’t bother me nearly as much. We went in search of a cocktail style dress and I settled on a tight, one-shouldered pink dress. Shopping had my head swirling, and as excited as I was about my only-in-my-dreams-gifts, I still couldn’t help but feel queasy and a bit nauseous at the thought of Jason spending so much money on me.
Lunch was another exquisite affair. Jason secured a private dining room at Restaurant Guy Savoy at the Caesar’s Palace. The dark, sleek, sophisticated marble detailing ornamenting the restaurant and us, in our lazy beach attire just didn’t mix. Jason had no reservations when purposefully striding into the restaurant and jokingly reminded all of us that, “lunch is on Cara, so be sure to order whatever you want.” I shook my head and nervously laughed. This was his money, not mine.
After a hearty lunch, we lazily walked back to the Raptor, a few thousand dollars poorer, and started the trek back to San Diego.
I let Hunter take the front seat so Chelsea and I could have some chat time in the back. She was beyond thrilled for me, and while she was accustomed to spending large amounts of
money at once, courtesy of her parents, this was new and unsettling for me. She reminded me that I didn’t ask for it, so I shouldn’t feel guilty about it.
About two hours into the drive, after having fallen asleep, I awoke to a buzzing from my phone. Hunter and Jason were chatting away, and Chelsea had passed out. I looked at my phone to find a notification. I tapped the screen to find a message from Jacob.
From Jacob Bradley
Hey! I’m sure by now you’ve seen the video of my brother, completely out of control. Heather brought it to my attention, after Stacey sent the link to her. Shame he hasn’t grown out of that adolescent way of handling his problems, guess some people never grow up. Anyway, I hope he changes that crap, and hope you don’t have to endure too much more of that. How are the plans for Texas?
I made no sound or movement, not wanting Jason to know that I was still speaking, or rather, messaging Jacob. He had no idea behind the reason of that outburst by Jason and I felt compelled to tell him.
To Jacob Bradley
I have seen the video, but more importantly, I was there, living in the moment. Jason may have overreacted, but he was protecting me from some drunken ass wipe who thought it was a good idea to aggressively grope me. Before you crucify your brother, please find out where his actions are coming from. Plans for Texas are in order. Only a couple more weeks until graduation, and then we will be there.
He didn’t respond and I lay my head back down, and drifted off to sleep for the duration of the trip.
When I awoke, Chelsea and Hunter were unloading all of their belongings and I sleepily made my way out of the truck. I hugged Chelsea and Hunter, a little too long for Jason’s comfort I assumed because he was making a clearing-his-throat sound to break us up. I adored Hunter and Chelsea, and appreciated that they were always there for me no matter what. Chelsea made the signal for “call me” and I nodded, and they loaded their things into Hunter’s car to make their way down to San Diego.
Jason unloaded our things and dropped them in the living room of his large, expansive property. It was strange that after everything we had been through, his place felt like home to me. He went to clean out his truck, and on the kitchen counter his phone buzzed. I took a peek at it and two text messages from Mila lit up. Because they were still coming in, I could read the messages on the top of the screen without having to actually open the texts.
Mila
Are you alone?
Call me!
Mila and Jason both swore, repeatedly, that there was nothing between them, but the fact that they texted and talked, when I was not around, and in such a secretive manner boiled me. I felt like going straight to Mila and ripping her hair out, but the rational side of me told me to sit back and watch it unravel. They wouldn’t be able to keep this up for long.
I heard Jason come through the door, and I stepped up to the fridge, making it seem as if I never encountered the blood curdling text messages on his phone. He walked through, kissed my cheek, and grabbed his cell phone, checking the messages left behind by Mila. He didn’t look at me, made no mention of the texts, and simply placed the phone into his pocket.
Careful not to stir his suspicions, I stood behind him at the counter, and placed my hands into the back pockets of his shorts and rested my cheek on his back. He sighed a welcome sigh, and softly asks, “Your birthday is coming up, what do you want to do?”
I removed my hands and he turned to face me. “I don’t know; something with you that’s for sure.”
“Well, that cocktail dress you bought today, make sure you wear that Saturday. I have a nice dinner surprise planned for you.”
“Oh, really?” I asked, surprised that he had already put so much thought into my day.
“Yes, but that's all you’re gettin’ so don’t ask anymore, because I ain’t tellin’.” He kissed my forehead and walked to the bathroom.
I heard the distinct sound of rushing water filling the bathtub, and I gallantly jogged to join Jason. He poured the bottle of bath bubbles, and turned the music on to a low instrumental. Undressing me with his exquisitely talented hands, I surrendered myself to him. As much as he pissed me off, I thought about the beautiful moments that we’d shared; the attentiveness that he’d shown me and it made the bad thoughts disappear. Lifting me up with his amazingly toned arms, he slowly lowered me into the lavender scented bubble bath. My facial expression must have given away my thoughts because Jason quickly stated, “I laid out your pajamas, but I have to go and finish up some work for my dad,” before I even had the opportunity to ask him if he would be willing to join me. He knelt down next to the bathtub and delicately kissed my lips, then gracefully walked out of the room.
Resting with my body against the back of the bathtub, I slinked down in the water and allowed the music to sweep me away. The thoughts of the Vegas trip flooded my head and sent me on a rollercoaster of emotions. The time with my parents, the fight with Mila, the game, Coyote Ugly, the catwalk, Jason’s gambling, our upgraded suite, the shopping spree; everything was vivid, and fresh. Amazement quickly sprang to mind when thinking of all I had been through since meeting Jason and where we currently stood. I was learning more about him, and although I would be lying if I didn’t say that his ambiguous nature didn’t bother me, I was gaining small bits of information.
Thoughts of Jacob charged in my mind. His messages, although elusive, contained a hint of antagonism aimed at Jason. The term sibling rivalry didn’t adequately describe the tense relationship between the Bradley brothers, and I was determined to figure out why they were at such as impasse. My heart began to ache for Jason as I thought of a father who labeled him the black sheep, and a brother whom he shared mutual hate for. I hadn’t learned enough about his mother to know if he had anyone in his corner.
My own family crept into my thoughts. Ryan and I were close, and we didn’t even share the same mother. My dad was my best friend, my mentor, and my inspiration. He took Ryan when his own mom couldn’t make time for him. My dad was exactly what I wanted in my future husband, and while I saw that Jason was a work in progress, the blame couldn’t be laid squarely at his feet, since he hadn’t had the foundation laid for him to become that man. Maybe my dad could spend more time with him?
Making my way to the bedroom, I threw on a satin night gown that Jason laid out for me, rubbed lotion onto my freshly shaved legs, and lay my exhausted body down in the bed. I turned on the TV and stopped on a sappy love story. My mind was filled with happy thoughts, and I fell asleep in what was probably the best mood that I had been in -- in a long time.
<>
The next morning, after sleeping much too long, Jason and I hurried out of the house and drove back to campus so that I could make my turn-in meeting. I was unashamedly jealous at the fact that he could throw on a t-shirt, jeans, and sandals, and look impeccable, while my shorts and t-shirt attire, with hair thrown up on my head, had me looking more homely than anything else.
Mila consciously avoided me, but out of the corner of my eye, I caught a few glimpses of her looking at me. Her expressions gave off the impression that she wanted to say something to me, but she didn’t give in to her feelings. I decided to give back exactly what she is giving off to me -- nothing. We may have had a decent time in Vegas, after sweeping the problems under the rug, but nothing had been solved. Chelsea spoke to her, but even that conversation was cold and short. It was disheartening to see the transformation of a perceived friend in such a short amount of time.
We turned in our gear and were almost out of the building when Coach called me back to speak to me about a job opportunity that he thought I would be perfect for. Chelsea went ahead and drove back up to the apartment, and I tried to make the meeting brief, knowing that Jason was waiting outside for me. Coach informed me that a Sports Marketing Firm in San Diego was looking for a couple of Entry Level Marketing Managers and he believed that I was well qualified for the position. He also informed me that he knew the founders and had thrown my name into the hat, an
d sent in a copy of my transcripts. I was floored and overwhelmed by the news. Thoughts of life after college had been on my mind, but really, there were no immediate plans.
I rushed out of the athletic building and down the hall when I heard Jason speaking. I moved a little closer, wondering who he was speaking to when I realized Mila was the other party in the conversation.
“Hey, don’t worry about her okay…” Jason said, and I my heart began beating like it was ready to pump itself right out of my chest.
“I don’t know how much more of her stares and comments I can take Jason…”
“Not much longer, please Mila. Don’t say anything… not yet.” He said, almost begging her.
“I don’t like all of this sneaking around, and I want to tell Ryan so badly. Are you sure you don’t want to just tell them, and end this? I don’t think it’s worth it anymore… I’ve pretty much lost my friend.”
“Trust me, and don’t say anything.” My chest felt like a flame had been lit on the inside, my heart was rapidly expanding, and my anger, jealously, and hurt were all at an all-time high. Thoughts of running out and beating the crap out of both of them ran through my mind, but sanity prevailed and I quickly dismissed them. Should I step into their view so they can see that I have been here, and have heard every ounce of this vile conversation?
I couldn’t bring myself to face either of them at the moment, so I turned and went back into the building. Luckily, Coach had left so I was able to run to the other exit door on the far side of the room without anyone seeing me. With my cell phone in hand, and more tears streaming down my face faster than I could wipe, I called Chelsea, and through sobs, asked her to please come down to the athletic building to pick me up. Thankfully, she didn’t ask any questions and rushed down to get me.