Chapter Ten: JC's Big Mistake
When her cell phone chimed, Christina hoped it was her errant fiancé. “Hello?”
“Christina, it’s Karen.”
No, her errant fiancé’s mother. Jolly. “Hello, Mrs. Chasez. How are you?”
“I’m fine. How are you doing?” It sounded like more than just a polite question somehow.
“Just dandy,” Christina murmured.
“Christina, I’m sorry. I don’t know why he’d behaving this way. He should be there with you.”
“It isn’t your fault or your problem, Mrs. Chasez.”
“It is if he loses you. I look forward to you being my daughter someday.”
“That’s a lovely sentiment. Thank you.”
“I can call him…”
“If he can’t see what he’d doing, Mrs. Chasez, he’s a little old for his mother to tell him. He’ll have to learn the hard way some things come at a high price.”
“Oh, Christina…” Karen sighed sadly. “You’re right. No one can blame you.”
“I hope you don’t.”
“Anyway, dear, you left a sweater at the house. Do you want me to send it to you?”
“Yes, please.” Christina gave Karen her home address, not the house she had shared with JC.
“You moved out…”
“No, I moved back.”
“If you ever need to talk…”
“Thank you, Mrs. Chasez. I do appreciate the offer.”
They chatted uncomfortably for several more minutes then rang-off.
“You bastard!” Christina whispered to the air.
JC groaned at the insistent chime of his cell phone. Either he was getting a barrage of messages or someone was not giving up. Rolling over, he came in contact with the nude, sleeping form of a pretty woman with long brown hair. Christina didn’t have long hair…
“Fuck!” He scooted away from her as his hung-over brain scrambled for information. He remembered dancing with her…he vaguely remembered having his picture taken with her. After that things got blurry. “Think, dude, think!” he muttered to himself. Somehow she’d left he party with him, gotten in the elevator…they’d started kissing and petting, giggling like naughty teenagers… “Damn!” She’d gone down on him sloppily…Protection…Had they used protection when they got to the main event? Struggling to remember, he leaned over to peek into the wastebasket. Yes! At least, he’d had that many functioning brain cells.
His cell phone started up again. Snatching it up, he barked, “What?”
“Hello to you, too, Joshua,” came the frosty voice of his mother. Disapproval dripped from each word.
“Oh, hi, Mom,” he offered half-heartedly. It was almost as if she could see what he’d done!
“I spoke with Christina earlier.”
JC checked his watch. One p.m. Miami time. Christina was his daylight baby…Dropping his head in his hand, he groaned. Oh, God! He’d cheated on Christina!
“Did you know she moved back into her house? Of course you didn’t. How silly of me! You’re on the other side of the continent from your fiancée – if she still is your fiancée.”
JC merely let his mother go. He deserved whatever she could throw at him and more.
“I thought we raised you better. Your behavior has been appalling. I can’t blame Christina for giving up on you.”
“Has she, Mom?” he asked quietly.
“Only she knows. How dare you give her a diamond on Christmas then show up like a drunken lout two days later in Miami when you let us think you were heading to Orlando? Not to mention New Year’s Eve. Do you know how your fiancée spent New Year’s, Josh?”
“No.” Who had Christina kissed at midnight?
“With your father and I. She baked a lovely Brie and we all hugged at midnight then went to bed. What is wrong with you? You have this genuine, loving, intelligent woman who loves you – and you are throwing it all away. For what?”
Why was he doing this? He wanted to marry Christina – didn’t he? He had proposed. He had gotten the ring. She hadn’t pushed for any of it. “I don’t know,” he answered finally.
“Then I think you had better find out,” she told him sharply.
“Yeah…uh…Thanks, Mom,” JC rang-off and quickly punched in Christina’s number.
“Hello.”
“Christina…honey—”
“Oh, hello, JC.” Her voice was even colder then his mother’s had been.
“C, I fucked up.”
“No kidding? And it took your mother to tell you. That doesn’t make me feel any better.”
“How did you?—”
“She called me and offered to talk to you. Obviously she realized you couldn’t be trusted to come around on your own.”
”C, can I talk?”
“Certainly. I love good fiction.”
“How about I tell you the truth?”
“Would you know it if it bit you in the ass?”
Instead of defending himself JC said, “I don’t really know why, C. That’s the God’s honest truth.”
“Then I think you need to figure it out.”
“I’m heading for Orlando for a while. Come stay with me,” he suggested.
“No, I have no reason to.”
Ouch. “Honey, I miss you.”
“Since when?” She snorted. “No, I will not fly clear across the country to make you feel better. You have some things to sort out. Maybe in Orlando you can do that alone.”
“What do you mean?”
“Read the newspaper, darling.” The last word dripped with sarcasm. The connection was severed quickly.
Finding his jeans from the night before, JC pulled them on and went to get the newspaper waiting in the hallway. He flipped through the pages until he saw a grainy black and white picture of himself with the long-haired woman draped all over him. They were kissing. He groaned.
“After months of occupying Christina Chandler’s time, JC Chavez appears to have moved on,” the caption read. It was Christina’s
devoted gossip columnist. The man knew how to spell JC’s name. The misspelling was obviously a needle.
Groaning again, he tossed the paper down and headed for the shower. He’d cheated on Christina and she knew it. The columnist had done it deliberately. JC wasn’t newsworthy enough to warrant his attention in Miami unless it was for Christina’s sake.
The hot water pounded him, clearing his brain. He’d been in a fog for nearly ten days. He hadn’t wanted to leave it, to examine his behavior. He’d wanted to be numb. It was all too much. The disappointment of his record continually being shoved back, the execs wanting to market him as a sex object, being at loose ends – and committing to Christina with a ring. The latter the execs deemed record-sales poison. It wasn’t like Justin’s uncommitted relationships. JC had used the ‘m’ word and that didn’t work with his new, sexier image; screw the fact he had been inspired to write most the songs about his flirtatious, giving fiancée!
He rummaged through his clothes to find a clean outfit, dressed and stuffed everything into his bag. He had to catch a flight to L.A. to plead his case of temporary insanity to Christina, and then fly back to Florida for a meeting with the Jive guys on Monday.
“JC?” The woman in the bed woke and sat up.
This was awkward as hell. He didn’t even remember her name. “Hey.”
“Going somewhere?”
“Back to L.A. My fiancée needs me.”
”Fiancée?”
“Yeah. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done what I did last night. It was wrong. I’m not a free agent. I’m in love with Christina and I’ve broken her trust.”
The woman frowned, trying to take it all in.
“Do you need cab fare home?”
“Umm…no.”
“I got the room till tomorrow. Whatever you need, put it on my tab.” Zipping up his duffle, JC headed out the door. “Good-bye.”
It had been a hassle getting a flight to L.A. and then getting a cab to his house then getting his car to drive to Christina’s. But here he was at her door, praying she wouldn’t slam it in his face.
Christina’s emotions warred within her when she found JC on her doorstep. She was still smarting from his desertion. His behavior was not something she was willing to tolerate. It didn’t bode well for their future. Her softer side saw how exhausted he was – saw the contrition in his face.
“I fucked up royally, Christina,” he announced. “All I can say is I’m sorry.”
“That’s all you can say?”
“No, but that is all I am willing to say standing out here.”
She bit her lower lip in that indecisive way of hers. He wanted to take it between his and bathe it with his tongue, suck and nibble on it…
“Stop that,” she ordered reading his eyes.
“You can let me come in and we can talk or I can park out here and be a nuisance – the choice is yours—”
“How could you?…” Her voice cracked on a sob. “How could you have done this to me?”
“Aww...baby…” Despite the fact she struggled against him, JC brought her into his arms, murmuring soothing sounds until she stopped fighting. She began to weep softly, like her heart was broken – and he knew he’d wielded the hammer that had done it. Maneuvering inside the door, he closed it and leaned against it as he held her.
“I hate you for this!” she whispered brokenly. She had put all her faith and love into their relationship. He was her best friend as well as her lover. How could he have done this? The JC she loved couldn’t have done this!
“I know…I know. I hate myself for doing this to you.”
“Not as much as I hate you.”
“Maybe not.” But she really didn’t hate him or she wouldn’t be in his arms.
“I—the ring is in the bedroom, I’ll go get it.”
“Hell no!”
“I don’t want it anymore.” She pulled away and headed for her bedroom.
JC was hot on her heels, “Christina, wait! Honey—”
The ring box hit his chest as he entered the room. It bounced off and tumbled to the floor.
“I don’t want anything from you anymore, you faithless bastard,” she stated coldly. “That ring was supposed to mean I had exclusive bedding rights – at least that’s what I thought.”
“It did – it does.”
“Ha!”
“Will you let me talk?”
“Why? So you can weave some tale of woe? – How the pressure of your career and the decision to marry me was too much and you snapped? Try again, Chasez. I’m not buying it!”
“They don’t want us together,” he said dully.
Christina stared at him in shock. “What?”
“It’s okay to sleep with you, but I’m not suppose to be serious about you. Being in love isn’t in keeping with my new image.”
“What new image?”
“I’m a sexual freak now, don’t you know? I’m all about sex.”
“You are not.”
“Sure I am. Just ask the promo people at Jive.”
That was awful... JC had a healthy sex drive but that was not who he was. “Jace…” Damn the man, he had cheated on here and he was making her feel sorry for him! “So you got drunk for days and slept with another woman to appease Jive?”
He wasn’t going to deny the other woman. “I was so wasted I don’t even remember it.”
“That is supposed to make it all right?”
“No, C, nothing makes it all right. I realize that. All I can do is say I’m sorry and promise it won’t happen again. I have no excuse, because there is none. I behaved badly and I hurt you. I can’t undo it or believe me, I would.”
“How can I ever trust you again?” The question was asked so softly it was nearly inaudible.
“I’ll have to earn your trust back. I know that.” JC bent down to pick up the ring box. He pocketed it. “I guess I have to save this until you feel you want it back.”
She nodded. She truly could not wear it at the moment. If ever…
“Can we go back to friends, Christina? Or do I have to go back to when you didn’t like me?”
“I—I don’t know yet.”
“You still love me, baby. I know you do.”
“But right now I don’t like you very much.”
He nodded. He couldn’t blame her. Even talking to her was more than he deserved for what he’d done. “I fly to Orlando tomorrow. I have another meeting about the CD.”
“Good luck.”
“Yeah, thanks. Can I call you and let you know how it went?”
She gave him a little nod. “Please.”
“Christina…” His heart was bleeding. He didn’t’ know what he’d hoped for coming here. But not once had he envisioned leaving with her ring in his pocket and no kiss between them. “Later.” Refusing to say good-bye, JC walked out of the room, out of the house to his car.
Somehow, he made it home before he broke into tears.
JC woke slowly the next morning. His head ached from crying and his mouth was dry as cotton. Then he became aware something soft and warm lying against him. Tentatively he ran a hand along the heat – a silk clad female. No…he hadn’t gotten drunk and he hadn’t gone anywhere…Easing his eyelids up, he found a short cap of dark brown hair against his shoulder. Christina! He didn’t move. He didn’t blink. He was afraid if he did anything, the vision would be gone. After a long moment, he let his hand stroke along her back. She shifted and made a sweet purring sound, but she didn’t disappear. Relieved, his arms came around her, pressing her closer. It felt good just to hold her.
“Mmm…morning, JC,” came her low morning voice.
“It is a good morning, Christina.” Any day he could wake up with her was a good day.
Well, he didn’t sound smug. She had to give him points there. “This is your last second chance,” she warned him. “I don’t give out third or fourth chances for something like infidelity. Do it again and I promise to rip off your dick.”
“I’ll buy you a silver platter to put it on,” he promised.
“Won’t need it. I’ll shove your dick up your ass and your balls down your throat. It won’t be pretty.”
“Sounds painful.”
“That’s a promise.”
He caressed her cheek. “I won’t disappoint you again, Christina. I love you. If this album never gets released, I’ll still have you. I can deal.”
“Would they honestly not release it?”
“They’ll release it eventually – and see that it tanks.”
“I though the whole idea was to make money. People want to hear it. It has the makings of a successful venture. I just don’t get it.”
JC let out a long, tired sigh. “Neither do I, C. I guess JT’s their goldmine.” He pressed his lips to her forehead. “Give me the ground rules.”
“Ground rules?”
“You came to me. I don’t expect a clean slate or carte blanche. I’m sure you have some conditions.”
To his surprise, she reached up to take his lower lip between hers and sucked at it. “Did you use protection?”
He answered honestly. “Not when she went down on me I don’t think. And like I said I don’t remember having sex, but there was a condom in the waste basket.”
“JC, you’re an idiot. You know how dangerous that is?”
“Yes, ma’am. I was too wasted to think.”
“You’ll have to use condoms until you can be definitively tested.”
“I’ll get some,” he promised.
“I’m not caving right away,” she told him firmly. “But we can’t work things out if we aren’t together…”
“I’m just glad you want to work it out with me. It’s more than I deserve.”
“So when do we leave for Orlando?”
We? He resisted the urge to grin stupidly. She was coming with him! “I hadn’t made reservations. This evening sometime.”
“I packed a bag.” She kissed him leisurely. “I figure if I need something I can get it there.”
JC’s testosterone was singing a long chorus of ‘hail Marys’. He could kiss her all day like that. He’d be hard enough to drive nails, but he didn’t care. She tasted so good…
“We have to show them a united front. They can’t rule your personal life. Real fans want you to be happy. It’s about the music, not your personal life.”
“Having you with me makes me happy, C.” When he kissed her, she was receptive. He was allowed to mold her to him, to feel her softness and heat. It was enough for now.
“You’d better call your mother,” she said huskily when he lifted his head.
“What do I tell her?”
“You can start by thanking her for her interference.”
“And what do I tell her about us?”
“That Christina is giving you a conditional second chance.”
“What conditions?”
“Safe sex until you’re proven ‘clean’ – and I can promise that if you act like a jackass again you are out of my life.”
“Those are pretty easy conditions, Christina.”
“I don’t want you to jump through hoops, JC. I want to be able to trust you.”
“I’ll prove you can,” he promised.
“Please, do.”
They spent sometime cuddling and nuzzling each other. JC thanked God he had this chance with Christina. Unlike other women he had known, she wasn’t into paybacks or power trips. She didn’t want to make it impossible for him – and it seemed she wanted what they had back as much as he did. Oh, she’d had to expend her hurt and anger first, that was understandable. She’d been dealt a huge blow! But in the end, she wanted their love to work, too.
“You falling a sleep on me?” JC asked as she snuggled in as she often did prior to drifting off at night.
“Mmm…mind?”
“No, honey. Sweet dreams.”
“Of you,” she sighed before her breath fell into the even pattern of sleep.
She wanted to dream of him. He was one lucky bastard.
“I love you so much, Christina,” he whispered to her.
JC didn’t sleep. He merely held her trusting body close and counted his blessings.