Bear In The Rough: Book 1: Treasure Hunt (BBW Bear Shifter Romance)

by Foster, L.

  Finally, before she headed out to rush to the Bus stop to meet destiny. She grabbed a hold of the phone in the living room, dialing the number of Jordan. Slowly swaying nervously where she stood as he had picked up on the third ring.

  "Hello?" Came his voice, calm and collected in the evening as she replied to him. "Jordan.. It's Maddie." She said, almost nervously so. "That audition.. I got the part Jordan. They wanted to hire me."

  "Hey! That's pretty good." He said, genuinely happy for her as he gave a light chuckle, continuing on. "So what? When do you leave? In a few months? Sometime closer to Winter?"

  "Jordan..." she said slowly. Her own voice trembling as she increasingly found it hard to say what she wanted to say to him, but finding the courage to continue on. "No.. Jordan. They want me to leave tonight. By Bus. To Chicago."

  "T-Tonight?" he stammered in reply, the shock of it washing over him like a wave.

  "Yea.. Can you...can you please come to the Bus station and see me off? I just want to see you before I leave. I have to go Jordan. Please.". And with that, she clicked the phone off, putting it back on the receiver as she quickly moved now, heading towards the Bus station, to get there in time for her to leave.

  Jordan himself was, as expected, devastated by the news. Slumping back within his seat, he numbly looked ahead for a few moments. His mind drawing a blank as he thought about this. He had hoped, prayed even, that she would win the audition. In fact, her winning was something he had wanted to happen, being her supporter and all. But for now? He didn't know what to think. He thought maybe they would have had more time together before she left. Weeks, months even maybe. Maybe he would have worked up the courage to tell her what he really thought of her. His true feelings for her. To remind her that even if she was gone, she could always have him in her heart if she ever returned. Now? Would she ever want to return? This small town of theirs never really offered anything that mattered to Maddie. She was a special person who wanted to see the world, and there was nothing here for her.

  Looking quickly to the clock, he realized that he still had time. He had to get out there to see her. Bolting up from his chair. He quickly went to get his sneakers on, tying and lacing them up tightly, spending no time to work on his attire. If she was going to leave tonight, he was going to tell her how he felt. He was going to let her know after all. Leaving through the front door, not even bothering to close it he sprinted down along the walkway from his front porch, bolting out to run down the street towards the bus stop. He needed to get there, and needed to talk to her before she left. His lungs filling with hot breath, his muscles aching the more he ran, but not wanting to slow down for even a moment as the sun slowly dipped down behind the horizon line, bathing the world in an orange red glow, and still he ran.

  However, as he got closer towards the Bus station, he saw something that sent his heart plummeting down into his belly, sinking his heart, and torturing his very soul with grief. The bus, the last of the evening had already started to pull out of the station, apparently having come early. What hurt the most for Jordan? In the back of the bus, he saw her. He recognized the fiery red hair from anywhere, the visage of Maddie Johnson, looking to the windows as if to look for Jordan Brett. So he continued on to run, but by then, the bus had picked up speed. Driving off into the distance.

  Jordan stood there for the longest time. Crushed, as storm clouds slowly rolled in from the east to cast a darker shadow on the evening, a reflection of his soul at this very moment. He had missed his opportunity to tell her he loved her, and he always would, and while he wanted her to be successful, he would always be there for her. She was gone from his life, and she never even know how he truly felt about her.

  Several months had passed since Maddie had seen her small town, and seen any remnants of her old life in that town. It al seemed a daze, almost like it was a dream. Almost like it was something that happened to another person, that it felt so surreal to her. She had been different, back then. A little naive, a little bit more gullible, and a little bit more inexperienced, but she had learned so much in her time with the traveling dance troupe that she almost feels like an entirely different person indeed. At first. It was difficult for her to adjust to the hectic day to day lifestyle that was required of her. Back in her home town, she had so much free time all to herself. All the time in the world to practice, to swim, to talk to friends, cook, sleep if she wanted. But now? None of that, she has not had a few day to herself in so long.

  First and foremost when she turned up in Chicago and paid the last of her money for a cab ride to the location that Mr. Thelaman had given her, it had been a whirlwind of things going on ever since she walked in through the door. Introducing herself to Ms. Georgina, who was in charge of the dancers and their routines, and letting the woman know who she was, she was led to her quarters, which was nothing more than a closet where she had a small bed, a mirror, and enough room to turn around and take a deep breath. She was told of the schedule that all dancers were to adhere to, their diet, and exercise regiment to keep them flexible, and the time to learn new dance steps, as well as expected pay and what she was to learn. Being herded with roughly 50 other girls in a dormitory of sorts, she was told to not get too comfortable in Chicago, as she was expected to be able to pack, and leave almost at a whim. In fact, orientation within Chicago only lasted two weeks for her as Maddie got use to the routine and expectations of what it meant to be a dancer in this world.

  Expectations were high indeed, Maddie had found out. Over the course of several months, she rose through the ranks of the dancers, besting out other girls that were hired to earn spotlight dances, and routines. Leading several of them, and being in charge of coordinating with the other dancers in her small little troupe as well. First becoming a team leader, and then a group leader eventually. However, it all came with new responsibilities as well that were expected of Maddie. Not only did she have learn a new routine every few weeks, with endless, grueling choreography lessons, but that was interspersed with various different exercise regiments that she had to keep as well, as well as studying yoga, and training her body to be as durable as steel, but as flexible as a napkin as well to reduce stress on her body.

  While the pressure continued to mount, moving up to become one of the Troupes rising stars, Maddie found herself strangely encouraged by it all, as for the first time in her life she had to work hard for what she wanted, and within the adversity, she flourished. Finding personal satisfaction in her work, and the people she had worked with as well. Happy with how her life was turning out, which of course was only helped by the healthy pay check she was given as well. No longer needing to scrimp and save for what she wanted, but having enough money to satisfy her dreams of being secure for the future.

  All of that of course was helped also by the fact that she had met a man while she was there traveling with the troupe and all. While she never forgot Jordan, and the mixed feelings she had in regards to him, the man she had met, Brad Miller, ended up being everything she had wanted in a man to love. Brad Miller was one of the male dancers of the troupes, who worked in the same capacity as Maddie did herself. He was tall, broad shoulder, with a chiseled face beautiful enough to have been carved by angels to Maddies eyes, with light, bright blue eyes, and a cunning humor that always caught her off guard, but kept her laughing. Good looking, handsome, intelligent, and a dancer much as herself, Maddie found herself falling in love, A love she never anticipated to have ever been involved in.

  Meeting him was one of the highlights of her time with the dance troupe at that point in time as well. Having met Brad after several shows where they were assigned to dance opposite one another, and spending time in choreography lessons to learn the dance that they'd be doing together. Almost awkward at first as they were introduced, but slowly growing more and more sensual as their own emotions started to mix with each other. Culminating after several shows where Brad and Maddie had found themselves behind the stage together after the audience had left, and
the janitorial services had cleaned up and went home for the evening as well. Their bodies entwined with one another, kissing each other as their hands caressed and searched over each others bodies. Tightened muscles straining from their cool down, the smell of their sweat and passion heating up, as they kept their growing relationship a secret from everyone else on brads insistence so as not to draw attention to them both, and to continue to work with each other. A reason Maddie was all too willing to acquiesce so as not to jeopardize her quickly expanding career in dance.

  However, growing upon the six month anniversary of her joining the troupe after winning the Audition, Maddie's required vacation time was coming up, and she started to find herself day dreaming while working on where she should go for vacation. Sure, she could return home, and fill her friends and family with stories of what she's seen, and where she's been. But she's now a citizen of the world. Free from the shackles of normality that she had fought so hard to escape from. She wanted to go places, and see the world a little bit. Everywhere was open to her at this point, and she wanted to live a little more. Being only 22, she was still young. Plenty of time later on in her life to settle down fully.

  Talking it over with Brad, as well as the friends she had made within the troupe, she eventually settled on Cancun, in Mexico as her destination. Missing the summer evenings she had spent swimming, she figured beaches, tequila, sun, and swimming was exactly the sort of vacation that she had needed. Her mind made up, she thought of askingBrad to come along with her. Both of them spending time together, she thought would have been highly romantic. Something that she eagerly wanted to experience with someone that she started to feel so strongly towards, and whom she knew she wanted to get to know better. However, soon she would have found out more about Brad than she had ever anticipated, and would have wished to know despite how in the end it was better for her this way.

  Several weeks after makingher plans to go to Cancun for her week long vacation, Maddie and Brad were scheduled for a routine in a San Diego show. The show was of course spectacular, and the crowds were out in full to see the dancing troupe show as it came to their city. Lights were all alight, buzzing in fluorescent power as it lighted the stage for all of them. Camera's rolling, filming the show for posterity. Happy with the outcome, the show went on as it normally went. Fans came to watch. Reporters came out to write, critique, and discuss the show, and the art behind it. The dancers themselves were starting to become full of adrenaline, prepared to dance their hearts out and make sure that those that came got their money's worth, and that they would leave with happy memories. Nervous producers and directors hoping everything goes fully as planned, and no mistakes were made at all during the production.

  Naturally the show went off without any problems at all. The dancers themselves performing flawlessly. Music and dialogue perfect pitch, and the crowd standing in ovation to the work that had gone into the performance as the curtains slowly closed. Maddie, satisfied highly at her own performance, slinked off from the rest of the cast in the after party where the dancers sat, rested, drank water, and cooled down in various cooling off exercises to prevent cramping, Looking for Brad, to tell him the good news of her decision, and to ask him if he'd accompany her on her vacation. However, she ended up coming upon him, not as she had expected him to be.

  Beneath the production and maintenance crews ladders, hidden away into the recesses of the shows props, there was Brad, cloistered away from all prying eyes. Brad however was not alone, but was in the arms of another woman. Their embrace held close together as Brad has done with Maddie. Their lips locked upon one another as the sound of their passions echoed off of the wooden walls all around them. It was at that moment that Maddie realized the truth of Brad, and saw him for the person that he was. That indeed, he might be handsome, and intelligent, and funny. But he truly was a snake in the grass, and that to Brad, his intentions were all about what Brad could have, and not about their feelings for one another. Betrayed, once more, and dismayed at her discovery, Maddie turned and left. Her heart broken, but hardened to any future plight that Brad might find himself in, having given him her heart, only to have it shattered once more.

  So she left back to her private room. Tears welling up in her eyes as it stung her. Her mind reeling at what she should do now. She was set to leave for Cancun in several days time, but now she had the funds for an extra ticket, but no one to go with her. Her mind thinking to the situation she now found herself in, and the euphoria that she had had for the last several months just seemingly being ruined in one fell swoop. Feeling sorry for herself, her mind raced back to her previous life, within the small town she had left behind. Finally drifting slowly to her friend that she had left behind as well. An idea forming in her mind as she decided, perhaps she should allow someone else the opportunity to come with her. Someone who deserved it more than Brad. Someone who had always been there for her.

  So she reached for the phone that was in her room. And called up her friend Jordan. Knowing it was going to be quite the long night indeed.

  Relaxation came finally to Maddie almost half a week later. The thrill of it all having died down to a dull, quieted, relaxation numbness as she laid upon the beaches of Cancun. The first half of her vacation an exhileration as she had called Jordan after her ordeal with the discovery of Brad in the arms of another woman. Wiring him money, getting him on a plane as soon as he could get himself packed, first thing in the evening. Followed by the nervousness of finally seeing him when she met him at the airport when his flight had arrived. Their surprise at seeing each other, almost seemingly so different from one another at first creating the awkward silence between them before Maddie, surprised and happy at him, nearly leapt into his arms, hugging her friend so close to herself as she enjoyed his embrace. And for him, he hugged her back to himself. They both seemingly so different than they were before, despite the half of a year difference from the last time they had seen each other. Herself more full, more feminine, but stronger and sinewy. Jordan himself relatively the same, minus his glasses, and with longer hair that reached down to his shoulder. Maddies hair for once being cropped short, the difference between them seemingly have swapped. Though blue eyes happily looked to sapphire gaze as they spent their week in paradise together.

  And now, upon the beaches, they laid together in a relatively quiet part of the beach. Barely anyone walking around to disturb them as they stared up at the sky. Crystal clear water washing up in tidal waves, lapping close to their feet, the yellow-white sand all around them stretchnig for miles upon miles, and the sky above as clear as the water, the endless blue stretching on forever, threatening to swallow the world should it ever fall upwards into it. A slight breeze blowing by, tickling the water chilled soles of their feet as silence once more surrounded them. However, not an awkward silence, but one of relaxation as they simply enjoyed their luck to be in a place so far from home together.

  Jordan of course slowly turned, looking over towards Maddie as she laid there with her eyes close. Almost angelic in a way, seemingly asleep as he smiled, in spite of himself. Reaching over with his elbow to nudge her gently as he spoke. "Maddie?" he asked. Herself murmuring in acceptance that she was not asleep as she slowly turned her gaze to look over towards him. Her eyes opening to look upon him.

  "You know, I'm glad you invited me out here. In all honesty. I didn't think we'd ever see each other again." He said, slowly turning to look up towards the sky as she continued to look at him. "You remember the night you left? You know I was out there, and I saw you leave on the bus. I was too late to talk to you that night." He continued on.

  "I didn't know Jordan. I thought you were too busy to come see me." She said as she too slowly looked up towards the sky with him. Listening to his words, and nearly drinking them in as he continued on.

  "No, no. I was there. I guess I was just late, like I said. I actually wanted to tell you something. I was too afraid to tell you before, and I guess in a way, I'm still a little scared t
o tell you now. But I thought you should know."

  She turned once more, looking upon him, letting him finish as he continued to speak, listening to Jordan take a deep breath before the words came out. "Maddie. I love you, alright? I don't know how to really say it other than just like that. But I've loved you for a long time now, and I guess I was just always scared of saying it. I do Maddie. I think about you a lot, even after you left, and you're always on my mind."

  Maddie blinked at his words as she inhaled deeply. The realization coming to her, hitting her so suddenly that it sent her mind reeling. She realized for the first time ever that she's always loved Jordan as well. That he's been there for her ever since they had known each other. Right by her side, urging her on, cheering her, supporting her in her endeavors. She had been so hurt before, that she never really realized it, and was scared to admit it to herself. But Jordan was everything she ever wanted. Caring, patient, considerate, and there for her. She started to lament the path in their lives that they've taken, only wishing that perhaps she should have realized sooner. Maybe she could have taken Jordan with her, or something could have happened. Tears welling into her eyes for the moment that they had together as she looked back to her. Slowly scooting closer towards him in response. Pressing against the side of his body. The silence once more breaking out between them, but for this, no words needed to be spoken. The other understanding what the other meant fully now.