Jase

by Fields, M. J.

  “Carly,” Abe whispered.

  “What?” I snapped at him.

  “Jase was talking to you,” Abe laughed uncomfortably.

  “Sorry, hi, Jase was it?” I asked trying to come off as cool, calm and collected.

  “Yes, Carly,” he smiled and blew into his hands rubbing them together trying to warm them.

  The waitress brought the drinks and set them on the table and she stuck her tits in his face, I bet they were fake. I looked just to make sure. I probably shouldn’t have because I saw Abe and Jase smirking at each other, “What?” I asked as I tossed back the Vodka and cranberry like I was a seasoned professional drinker. Abe laughed, “They looked fake,” I said loud enough that the waitress turned back and glared at me.

  Jase laughed, “How’ve you been Carly?”

  “Fine, and you…Jase was it?” I asked and finished my drink.

  “It was and it still is,” he smiled took a drink and looked up at me through those damn eyelashes: those dark, thick eyelashes that framed the most beautiful brown eyes I had ever looked into.

  “And I see you’re still a… very charming. Like Prince Charming, probably charming the pants off…” I knew I needed to shut up but it wouldn’t stop.

  “Carly,” Abe grabbed my hand, “Maybe you should slow down.”

  I looked at him confused and in typical stupid drunk girl fashion I felt a lump in my throat, “Sorry, I’m really not good company. Abe, I’m going to take a cab,” I stood up and grabbed my coat.

  “You’re flying to California tonight?” Jase asked as if he really gave a fuck.

  “Deceiving eyes, you man whore,” wow the words came out of my mouth, I knew it by the look in both of their eyes, I had not meant it to happen.

  “Reformed man whore Carly,” he winked.

  “Jesus Carly, what the hell has gotten into you?” Abe grabbed his coat and put it on.

  “Oh no, you stay, that girl has been eyeballing you all night, stay and have fun with that.” I ran, okay… walked fast out of the bar and was hit in the face with freezing cold winter air and I shook uncontrollably as I tried in vain to hail a cab.

  I swear I was ready to jump on a cab when one of those bastards hit a puddle and soaked me. I heard a familiar laugh from behind me and turned and saw Jase smirking, “Let me give you a ride.”

  “No thank you,” I wiped the slushy, freezing cold wetness from my face and stepped towards the road. I leaned out further trying to catch the attention of one of those yellow bastards and I slipped.

  “Okay Carly you’re drunk. We’re giving you a ride home,” Abe grabbed my hand and dragged me towards a black SUV. He opened the door and helped me into the passenger side of the vehicle.

  “She staying with you Abe?” Jase asked starting the car.

  “Nope, you can drop me off first,” Abe shut his door, “Damn, I’m exhausted.”

  “Where are you staying Carly?” I swear Jase purred my name.

  Abe rattled off the address and Jase laughed. I looked at him prepared to say something really, really…not nice and he glanced at me and smiled a very sweet smile, fucking dimple winked, chocolate brown, gold speckled eyes shined, and then the stupid white teeth sparkled. To top it off I then felt…damn, stupid conspirator nipples!

  I needed to get the hell out of here, “Abe I …” Abe smiled and got out of the vehicle and waved, “goodnight?”

  Jase put his hand on the back of the headrest and turned to look as he backed out of the driveway onto the street. He was beautiful, still beautiful I watched him until I heard squealing tires and a honk.

  “Shit,” Jase put the SUV in drive and peeled out gripping the steering wheel until his knuckles were white.

  I could feel my face turning red and looked away, out the window, stay focused damn it!

  I must have fallen asleep because when I opened my eyes, Jase was parked in front of my condo.

  “Are you alright Carly?” he purred.

  I closed my eyes again, I needed to say something like: Thanks for the ride, yes I am fine, but my head was throbbing, my stomach was in knots, and the man I had dreams about for the past year and a half was sitting next to me.

  “Carly?” he whispered.

  “Thank you, thanks for the ride. I’m loaded,” I opened the door and bolted to my door.

  I reached to my side for my purse and it wasn’t there, “You forgot something, Carly.”

  I turned and Jase was inches from me. I stepped back quickly and slipped falling on my ass on the hard ice covered concrete step.

  “Ouch,” it hurt like hell and I swear I bruised my tailbone and I tried to stand and slipped again.

  Jase caught me by the elbow, “You okay Carly?”

  “No…no damn it,” I whined, rubbing my ass, “It hurts like hell.”

  He bit his cheek trying not to laugh, “Need some help?”

  “Seriously Jase, you pig. I really don’t need you to rub my ass thank you,” I snapped.

  Jase grabbed me and lifted me, “Carly, I get that you’re angry with me, okay? I wasn’t offering to rub your ass, but speaking of asses-- you are a giant pain in mine.”

  Jase ruffled through my purse to find my keys and grabbed them reaching around me he unlocked the door. He picked me up and carried me through the door and set me down.

  I’m sure it was the alcohol, and exhaustion and grief that caused me to start crying, but it was still embarrassing.

  “Carly, is it that bad?” he walked behind me, “Where right here?”

  He rubbed my lower back and started lifting the back of my shirt.

  “Get your hands off me,” I snapped and turned around.

  “Really, Carly it’s been a year alright? You need to get over this…hatred you have for me. Stop being a pain in the ass and lay down,” he lead me to the couch and pointed, “On your stomach.”

  I did as he asked and he went into my kitchen. I heard him open a drawer and then the fridge. He returned to the living room and knelt down beside the couch.

  “I have ice, I am going to put it on your back,” Jase lifted my shirt and set it gently on me, “Better?”

  I shook my head and continued trying to calm down. I turned towards him, “Thanks.”

  “Look Carly, I am not trying to put the moves on you okay. You can relax,” Jase’s brows knitted together in a scowl for a moment.

  “Sorry, that’s not…” I began to explain.

  “It’s been almost a year. A lot has changed in my life so if you could just forget…” he started.

  “Forget what Jase?” I wiped my nose, “Do you think this is about you? It’s not, a lot has happened. I’m overwhelmed, that’s it. Maybe you should get over yourself.”

  “You want to talk about it?” he asked.

  “No! Not with you,” I gasped.

  “Alright, should I call Abe?” he asked softly.

  “No, I’m fine thanks… it’s late you should go see Bella,” saying her name hurt, I had not expected that. I stood up and stepped around him and walked quickly to the kitchen to get a drink.

  He walked out and pushed up his sleeves, “I should go.”

  “Thanks again for the ride Jase,” I walked out and started to open the front door and he looked at me with hurt in his eyes.

  Jase was standing too close for me to breathe. He lifted my chin gently and I looked up into his eyes. He very slowly moved towards me. I closed my eyes anticipating his lips on mine. Oh, how I had craved that.

  Jase kissed my forehead, “Goodnight.”

  I don’t know why I started crying again but I did. He paused and took a deep breath and closed his eyes, “Carly, I’m very sorry about your mother. She was a wonderful woman.”

  That did it.

  I lost it.

  And he held me, which made me cry harder. I missed her, I hated being here, I felt even farther away from her than ever before. I know I was not allowed to grieve anymore but it hurt. A perfect job and a perfect home meant nothing, I mi
ssed her. I wanted her back. And I knew no matter how many stars I wished on that would never, ever happen. I cried even harder and he rubbed my back and held me tightly.

  “I’m going to stay until you fall asleep,”

  “You can’t,” I pulled back and wiped my tears, “Bella.”

  “Bella is already asleep, Mom is there. You need …”

  “Jase you can’t, I don’t have her to fix it anymore,” yeah I said that, note to self, no more drinking, unless it was alone. “Sorry, I am so stupid and drunk, and…”

  He smiled, “So you won’t remember, come on I’m not leaving you here alone on your first night.”

  “So you’re trying to be my friend?” I felt my lips quiver, I was unsure if that’s what I wanted, or if I could even handle that.

  “Yeah, come on show me your room,” I started to object and he smiled, “I’m a Daddy now Carly, I really have grown up, besides I never took advantage of you before did I?”

  “If we are going to try this friend thing, I suggest you not bring up the past,” I looked at him and he smiled, “I’ll be fine.”

  “Didn’t sound convincing, let’s go, I will take the floor,” he grabbed my hand and started walking towards the stairs and yes I followed him.

  “I haven’t even been up here yet.”

  “I am sure we will find it,” he smiled over his shoulder at me.

  He was beautiful and very… very… addictive. Is that the right word? Or poison maybe poison, oh my stomach hurts and things are spinning and …

  I looked up and he was looking at me with his lips turned up slightly, “You done in there?”

  “In where?” I looked around wondering what he was talking about.

  “I don’t know wherever it is you go in that head of yours, come on. I bet this is it,” Jase opened the door at the end of the hall and turned on the light.

  It was beautiful, light hard wood floors and lavender walls, I noticed Jase stifle a smile, yeah he likes this color. The bed, it was huge, a deep purple duvet covered it, and pillows covered half of the bed. I walked into the bathroom and almost laughed out loud. It was just like the one at the Garden, I heard Jase walking towards me and quickly shut the door. I didn’t want him to see, which was kind of juvenile, like he would remember. Jase was going to be my friend.

  I splashed water on my face hoping that it would make me sober up, yeah I know not real smart. Note to self: next research project was going to be on, how to make the freaking room stop spinning…oh boy.

  I covered my mouth and made it to the toilet in time. I don’t know how long or how many times I threw up. I didn’t notice when Jase came in, sat behind me with one hand holding back my hair, the other hand taking turns handing me a towel and rubbing my back. When I finally leaned back he was what I leaned on. My back to his chest and both of his hands gently rubbing up and down my arms slowly, as I tried to catch my breath.

  “You feel better now?” I shook my head no, “I’m going to run you a bath, you soak for a bit and you’ll feel better.”

  I wanted to say no but I couldn’t, he was right, “Sorry that you had to experience all that repulsiveness.”

  He smiled, “It wasn’t that bad.”

  “It was nasty,” I started to stand and he grabbed my elbow and helped me up.

  “I have seen worse, you made it in the potty,” Jase smirked, “Like a big girl.”

  I smiled, “Thank you.”

  “Alright now the question is, can you climb up in the big old tub without hurting yourself?” I shook my head yes, “Good, now I’m going to get your bag, is it downstairs?”

  “Yeah, Jase odd as it seems I feel better. You can go if…”

  “If what?” he smiled as he walked out of the room and yelled over his shoulder, “I said until you fell asleep.”

  I must have fallen asleep because I woke and Jase had a towel, “You gotta get out, you’ll get all wrinkly like a prune.”

  I smiled slightly and took the towel, I looked up and didn’t move, “Oh yeah, sorry Ba…. Carly. There’s clothes and a toothbrush and paste…”

  “Thanks, I see them,” he was being sweet and I really liked it. Too much. I should probably be a bitch, fight with him so he leaves, and then I would be alone and I didn’t want to be.

  I grabbed the tee shirt and felt my face burn and he wasn’t even in the room, Forever Steel, the hotel walk of shame shirt, Dear God he must think I am such a freaking girl. So I put it on inside out, seriously hoping he didn’t notice.

  When I walked out he had turned the bed down, lavender satin sheets, I would have to get rid of them, I was a flannel sheet girl in the winter on the east coast, nice and warm.

  “Hop up in here,” Jase smiled and patted the bed, just like a daddy would.

  “Jase go home to,” I couldn’t even say her name he looked at me and then pulled his thin black sweater off over his head. “She’ll be upset if she wakes up and you are...” He looked at me and pulled his gray tee off. Damn, damn, damn.

  “I said I would leave when you fall asleep. I am really good at this whole night time thing. I will have you tucked in and purring like a little kitten in ten minutes.”

  Jase unbuckled his black leather belt and unbuttoned his pants, they fell to the floor with a thud. Okay he was standing here in his white boxer briefs next to my bed, his skin was so-- I really did not like how it made me feel.

  “Your shirt’s on inside out,” he pointed out and smirked.

  “Yeah, just didn’t want to give you the wrong idea,” Jase climbed into bed next to me and my heart literally stopped, I knew it did.

  He laid down and placed his arm across my pillow, “What idea did you think I may get?”

  “I don’t know, that I was hanging onto something, a long ago something.”

  “Like that even though you and I haven’t seen each other in almost a year, I thought you may still want me,” Jase chuckled. “You made it clear Carly, and I want to be your friend alright?” he cocked his head to the side and kind of pouted. “Now that we have cleared that up, your head has to go here,” he pointed to his bare, beautifully sculpted chest. “That’s the spot that will put you right into dream land”

  So I did, just like that, no fight, no smart ass comeback I just laid there with my ear against Jase’s heart. He rubbed my back and I guess I fell asleep.

  I woke up when he was pulling his sweater over his head, “Sorry I woke you.”

  “No don’t be, thank you Jase,” I stretched and he smiled.

  “You going to Abe’s thing tonight?” he asked buttoning his pants as I watched chewing on my lip, so my reflexes were a bit slow. He saw and leaned forward and pulled my lip out from between my teeth, gently with the pad of his thumb. “That’s not going to help this friend thing Baby.”

  “What I…:”

  He put his finger over my lips. “Please, you’ll screw up O.G.C.B.” He laughed and kissed the top of my head, “Some advice, drink two big cups of water and take these two pills,” he handed them both to me, “Then sleep, you’ll feel better. Gotta go,” Jase looked at his watch. “One hour and it’s breakfast, and school.” He stopped and looked like he wanted to say more and smiled, “See ya later.”

  “Thank you so much,” I was going to cry again, but I would hold off.

  “Anytime,” he left and I cried.

  14

  I walked into the house and closed my eyes, I had held her all night, in my fucking arms. I squatted down, over run with emotions, ecstatic that I had seen her, and nervous as hell that she was not ready for all I had planned. I loved that girl, and I would stop at nothing to make sure that she would feel that way about me again. I was just not sure she was ready. I could not fuck this up. Operation Get Carly Back had to work.

  I opened my eyes and Little Bell was standing in the hallway looking at me.

  “Are you okay Daddy?” she looked worried and I didn’t want that.

  “I’m great. Let’s get you ready for school.” />
  We did our normal routine, I’m pretty sure I pulled it off. Mom came down the stairs as we were getting our boots on.

  “Before you leave I’d like to talk to you,” she kissed Bella’s head and walked into the kitchen.

  “Little Bell, you have pancakes stuck in your teeth, one more quick brush, keep the boots on,” she smiled and ran into the bathroom.

  “What’s going on Mom?”

  “Charlotte had a rough night last night, I just want you to think about preparing yourself and Bella.”

  “Something will work out, it has to.”

  “Jase, she is very sick. Bella will accept this if you do. But if you keep wishing for a miracle you may be disappointed.”

  ~

  After I dropped off Bella I stopped at the new headquarters. It was fucking impressive. We had bought up an old factory and within six months had made it into a very nice work environment. I took the elevator to the fourth floor, normally I would take the stairs but I was dog ass tired. I couldn’t sleep last night, I couldn’t stop watching her.

  “Good morning Mr. Steel.”

  “Cut the shit, Pam,” I smiled as I walked through the lobby into my office.

  “Dominic, and Jules?” she had no clue who they were, “Will arrive at noon.”

  “Thanks, as soon as they get here send them in,” I walked into my office, turned on my computer, and grabbed a water out of the refrigerator behind the corner bar.

  The morning was spent on the phone with Ocean Resort, I wanted everything perfect and yes I was using my new position in life to make sure it happened. “Keep in mind if this isn’t over the top perfect we will take our business elsewhere. The food, the stage, the dance floor, the fucking flowers all better be perfect.”

  Abe looked up at me and rolled his eyes and I realized what an ass I sounded like, “They’re going to spit in the food man.”

  “They better not or…”

  “You will take your business elsewhere, I heard you, and they heard you. You’re a CEO and President now, when are you going to start acting it?” Abe laughed and I did too.