Chapter 9

Orlando

Kathleen looked at her watch. It was 11:53 am. She hurried into the restaurant and saw Kevin waving her over to a table in the corner.

"Hi," she said, putting her bag down and sitting down across from him. "Thanks for the lunch invite." She looked around. "He’s not coming is he?"

"I guess you haven’t talked to Maria, then," Kevin said, taking a sip from his water glass. Kathleen frowned.

"Why? What’s going on?" she asked.

"Geoff got the bright idea of going after Maria," he replied. Kathleen shook her head.

"Please tell me that you’re joking," she said.

"I wish. Geoff spoke to Maria’s father who happened to mention that Maria and the band that she’s traveling with would be staying with him for a few days. Geoff was off for the airport the next morning. I’m dying to know what happened when Maria saw him," Kevin said. Kathleen sighed.

"What is he thinking? Is he really that stupid?" she asked.

"No. He’s in love with her," Kevin said.

San Francisco

Alex woke up and yawned. She saw Dianna still asleep on the day bed across the room, but Maria was nowhere in sight. Alex got out of the bed and walked quietly down the hallway to the next room. She pushed on the door and smiled when she saw Erik sleeping on his stomach, hanging halfway off the bed. Jacob’s bed was empty. Alex walked over and ran a finger down Erik’s cheek. He stirred and brushed it away. Alex smiled. She did it again and Erik rolled over.

"Hey, wake up," Alex said, sitting down on the bed beside him.

"No," Erik mumbled. "It’s too early." Alex leaned over Erik so that she could look into his face.

"Maria never came to bed last night," she said. "And Jacob’s bed hasn’t been slept in either." Erik opened his eyes and turned over.

"So? That doesn’t mean anything," he said.

"Are you kidding? Didn’t you see that kiss last night?" she asked. Erik put his arms around her.

"Yes. We all did, but look at what Maria’s had to deal with since she’s been here. Her father’s girlfriend is pregnant; her boyfriend shows up out of nowhere and accidentally hits her while trying to beat the crap out of Jacob, who ends up beating the crap out of her boyfriend. I don’t think we can assume that Jake and Maria are together forever, if you know what I mean," he said. Alex nodded. That was true. Maria had a lot going on right now and she could be ‘playing’ Jacob, but Alex didn’t think so. She had seen the kiss and it had looked like more than just a playful smack on the lips.

Alex lay down beside Erik and closed her eyes. Maria wasn’t stupid. She would handle her problems. Alex just hoped that Jacob didn’t get caught in the middle.

"Maria," Joseph said again. He stood with Marilyn in the recreation room looking down at his daughter and Jacob, who were sleeping together on the couch. Maria was leaning against Jacob and appeared to be sleeping peacefully. They didn’t look too good, however. Marilyn had freaked out when she had found them there and had seen the bruises on their faces. Geoff was gone. Joseph felt guilty about that. If he had known what was going on between Maria and Geoff, he would never have let Geoff into the house. Obviously, something bad had happened last night, judging from Maria’s bruised cheek and Jacob’s black eye. "Maria," he said louder. Maria sighed and turned closer to Jacob, her head resting on his chest. Joseph bent down and shook her gently. Maria’s eyes opened and she looked up at her father and Marilyn.

"What?" she asked, irritably, closing her eyes again and snuggling down closer against Jacob.

"I know it’s early, but I need to speak with you. Now," Joseph said firmly. Maria shook her head.

"It can wait," she said. Joseph rubbed a hand over his eyes.

"No, it can’t. Now, get up. I need to know what went on last night," he told her. Maria groaned, remembering the events of last night.

"Geoff’s a bastard," she said, her eyes still closed.

"Did he hit you?" Joseph asked. Maria nodded against Jacob’s chest. Joseph frowned. Then, Maria shook her head.

"It was an accident. He was trying to hit Jacob and got me by accident," she mumbled. Joseph looked at Jacob, who was apparently a very deep sleeper.

"Why were they fighting?" he asked. Maria sighed.

"Geoff saw me kissing Jacob and freaked out. He tried to drag me out of the room, but Jacob stopped him and they fought. I got hit and Jacob kicked Geoff’s ass. He’s gone, right?" Maria asked, still half asleep.

"Yes. He wasn’t here when we got up. Are you all right?" Joseph asked her. Maria opened her eyes. Realizing that her soft, comfortable pillow was actually Jacob, she sat up and touched her cheek gently, wincing at how sore it was.

"I think so," she said. She looked at Jacob and frowned when she saw his eye. He had a cut next to it and the outer edge was black and blue. She reached over and touched it lightly. It was enough to wake Jacob up, though. He grimaced and opened his eyes. They were red and glassy. He saw Mr. Carpenter and Marilyn looking at him, then his gaze landed on Maria. Her cheek was bruised and puffy.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly as he sat up. Maria shrugged. The Mikes then entered the room and frowned when they saw Jacob.

"What the hell happened?" Mike M. asked, looking from Jacob to Maria and back. Jacob shook his head.

"No big deal, guys. I’m fine," he said.

"You don’t look fine," Mike C. told him.

"It looks like you were in a fight," Mike M. said. Maria nodded.

"Good guess," she said with a slight smile.

"Maria, this isn’t funny," Marilyn told her. Maria frowned.

"I know, but I wasn’t the one who invited Geoff to come here, am I?" she asked angrily. Jacob closed his eyes again. His head hurt, his eye hurt and he was tired. Maria saw how badly he looked. "Look, can you all save the inquisition until later. We’re tired and a lot of shit went on last night that’s really none of your business. As long as Geoff is gone, I’ll be okay," Maria said, getting up. She pulled Jacob up and dragged him to the door. When Mike M. started to say something, Maria glared at him. "Later," she said. They left and the Mikes stood there shaking their heads. Joseph put his arm around Marilyn, who was frowning, her hands resting on her protruding belly.

"It’s okay, honey. They’re okay," he said.

Maria pulled Jacob to his and Erik’s room. She saw Erik and Alex lying on Erik’s bed and sighed.

"There you guys are. What happened? Where were you?" Alex asked. Jacob lay down on his bed and closed his eyes. Maria went into the bathroom and came back with a bottle of Tylenol and a glass of water. She handed two to Jacob, who took them with a sip of the water. Then she, too, took a couple. "Well?" Alex asked.

"We fell asleep on the couch. My dad woke us up," Maria said, returning the Tylenol to the bathroom and coming back in. She sat down on the end of Jacob’s bed, at his feet.

"Was he pissed?" Erik asked. Maria shrugged.

"I don’t think so. Just worried. The Mikes, though, are pissed I think," she said.

"Yeah, because Jacob’s pretty face was messed up," Erik said with a smirk.

"I am so sorry," Maria said, looking at Jacob’s eye again. He opened his eyes.

"It wasn’t your fault. It was your boyfriend’s," he said.

"He used to be so different. I don’t know what happened. We had so much fun together when we first started going out. It was like, the minute he moved in with me, he all of a sudden thought that he owned me or something," Maria said, looking at the floor. Jacob didn’t really want to hear this. "I started working for Kyle and that took up most of my time, so I guess he felt neglected. He has probably been cheating on me for months. I don’t know what this chasing after me and this ‘She’s mine!’ shit is all about, though. He’s like a completely different person."

"Maria, he’s always been like that. I knew it, but I didn’t want to say anything because I knew that you’d deny it," Alex told her.

"Anyway," Maria said, not wanting to talk about Geoff anymore. "I’m going to clean myself up." She got up and left the room.

"She’s still hung up on that jerk, isn’t she?" Erik asked. Jacob had a sick feeling in his stomach. He had kinda gotten that impression, too. That or she wasn’t totally over him yet.

"Of course not," Alex said, standing up. "After the way that he treated her? No way. How can you even ask that after the way that she kissed Jacob last night? Believe me, it’s not Geoff that she’s hung up on." Alex then left the room. Erik looked over at Jacob, who was staring at the ceiling.

"Maybe Alex is right. I’m sure that Maria wasn’t using you or anything," he said. Jacob turned his back on Erik. He didn’t want to think that Maria was using him, but he couldn’t help it.

After taking a shower, Maria put on a pair of khaki shorts and a black ribbed tank top. She pulled her hair into a ponytail and looked at herself in the mirror. Her cheek was swollen and it hurt. ‘My hand is finally healed and now this,’ she thought. No amount of makeup would help either. Maria gently rubbed some powdered makeup on it anyway, so at least it wouldn’t look too red. She then left the bathroom.

"How’s your cheek?" Dianna asked. She was straightening her day bed and looked up when Maria came out of the bathroom.

"It hurts. What a scene. You must think I’m a total wacko," Maria said. Dianna smiled.

"No, I don’t. I think that your boyfriend has some control issues, though. He shouldn’t have come here."

"I know. My dad didn’t know what was going on, though. It’s hard to always be out of touch with him. We were so close when I was little and then, one day, he was just gone. I blamed him for the longest time, thinking that he’d abandoned me, but then when I started to realize what a basket case my mom was, I didn’t blame him for wanting to be free of her," Maria said with a sad smile.

"What are you gonna do about your boyfriend? I mean if you don’t mind my asking," Dianne said. Maria shrugged.

"I don’t really know yet. He’s moved out of my place, but he’s still in my life…for now anyway. I never thought that he’d fight to get me to forgive him. I thought he hated me. I don’t know. I’m just very confused right now. I have a job to do, though, so I can’t think about this stuff right now," she said as she went through her bag and pulled out a notebook. Smiling at Dianne, she left the room.

Maria went into the sunny kitchen and sat down at the table. It was a round table with a padded seat that went halfway around the table, kind of like a booth in a restaurant. Windows were right overhead with a small ledge that had plants and other knickknacks on it. There was a framed picture of Maria, Sarah and Joey when they were younger. Maria took it down and smiled. ‘The three musketeers,’ she thought.

"Your father loves that picture," Marilyn told her as she brought Maria a glass of orange juice.

"Thanks. I remember when this was taken. We were at Disneyworld. I went on the ‘It’s A Small World’ ride, like, twenty times. The song is still stuck in my head," Maria said with a smile. She put the picture down on the table. "You must be excited about the baby." Marilyn smiled.

"Very excited. Maria, I know that we should’ve told you and I’m sorry that we didn’t, but knowing how your mother is…"

"I know. I understand, but I don’t tell my mother everything, you know. We don’t even talk that much. I just keep in touch with her because of Sarah and Joey. My mom and I, we just drifted apart and, well, we don’t really see eye to eye anymore."

"I’m sorry." There was an uncomfortable silence. "Will you be attending Sarah’s graduation next week?" Marilyn then asked. Maria frowned.

"Next week? Oh, God. I had no idea it was next week. I have to find the Mikes. When is it? Damn! Sarah was supposed to tell me!" Maria said, jumping up from the table.

"Relax. It’s a week from today," Marilyn told her, smiling.

"That’s what…? June 21^st? Why the hell is she graduating so late? Never mind. Thanks. I’ll be back." Maria fled the kitchen in search of one or both of the Mikes. Marilyn shook her head and drank Maria’s juice.

Jacob couldn’t get back to sleep, so he got up. He took a long, soothing shower. His eye still hurt and he wondered how the hell he would explain it to anyone who asked what had happened. ‘Well, you see, this reporter who is traveling with us, her boyfriend caught me making out with her and he punched me.’ Yeah, that sounded great. The kiss had been amazing, though. He smiled, remembering how it felt to have Maria’s lips on his. She had tasted like…chocolate. He guessed that she’d just eaten a Snickers bar, since that’s all she appeared to ever eat. She had tasted mighty sweet, though. He’d also never forget the way that it felt to have her legs wrapped around his waist, her body pressed so closely against his. Realizing that he was getting himself worked up, Jacob stopped that train of thought.

After he had calmed down, he turned off the water and dried himself off. He pulled on a pair of baggy jeans and a green tee shirt and tied a green and white bandanna over his head. Walking out of the bathroom, he sighed when he saw Ashley, Trevor and Dan standing there waiting for him.

"What?" he asked as he slowly walked over to his bed. He found a pair of socks and pulled them on. Then he put on his sneakers.

"How are you feeling?" Ashley asked. Jacob shrugged.

"I’ve been in worse fights before. He only hit me once. You guys can relax," he said. He looked at his knuckles, though, and noticed that they were pretty bruised too.

"It was worth it, though, right? I mean I’d risk getting killed just to kiss Maria too," Trevor said with a grin. Jacob shook his head and stood up.

"Anyone else hungry?" he asked as he headed for the door.

"Come on, Jake. Tell us what it was like," Trevor begged. Jacob turned on him.

"It was a kiss. Drop it," he said, angrily and left the room.

"I told you not to push him," Dan said. Trevor sighed. He really liked Maria and seeing her kiss Jacob like she had, well, he was jealous.

"Maybe it’s not serious. I mean, if he won’t even talk about it," Trevor said, hopefully.

"Dude, didn’t you see that kiss? It wasn’t just a ‘friendly’ kiss," Ashley said.

"Guys, forget it. We need to concentrate on our job right now and not Jacob’s love life, okay? Let’s go," Dan said as he left the room. After a minute, Ashley and Trevor followed him.

Jacob heard loud talking as he passed the Mikes room. He stood outside the door and saw Maria gesturing wildly as she talked to them. She was clearly agitated about something.

"Why didn’t you tell us sooner?" Mike M. was asking her.

"I didn’t know until Marilyn told me, like, five minutes ago," Maria exclaimed. "Where will we be?" she asked. Mike M. looked at their schedule.

"We’re scheduled to be in St. Louis on the 20^th and Chicago on the 21^st," he said.

"Can’t I take a flight out of St. Louis and meet you in…where will you be the 23^rd?" Maria asked.

"Um…Detroit," Mike M. answered.

"I’ll meet you in Detroit then. I really can’t miss Sarah’s graduation," she said, calmer now. Mike C. nodded.

"We understand. And you can use some time away from us, I think," he added. Maria smiled.

"Yeah, I think so too," she said softly. Jacob frowned. He turned away from the door and kept walking to the kitchen.

Alex was sitting on a stool at a long counter in the kitchen when Jacob came in. Erik was pouring milk into a bowl of cereal.

"Here, dude," Erik said, handing Jacob the bowl. Jacob nodded his thanks. Noticing the scowl on his face, they didn’t say anything to him. Ashley, Dan and Trevor appeared, along with Marilyn, who came in carrying a couple of bags. Ashley took one of the bags from her. She smiled at him.

"Thank you," she said, and then turned to everyone else. "Good morning! I went out and picked up some bagels and doughnuts. Come and help yourselves," she said. The guys headed to the kitchen table.

"You didn’t have to do that," Trevor said, taking a bite out of a powdered doughnut.

"Oh, it was nothing. Joseph wished that he could be here to chat with all of you, but he had a meeting this morning," Marilyn said. Maria then entered the kitchen. She walked over to the table and nudged Jacob aside.

"Grab me an onion bagel," she said. He did so, barely looking at her. ‘Okay. He didn’t wake up on the right side of the couch,’ Maria thought.

"Thanks," she said as she went to spread some cream cheese on it.

"Maria, did you work everything out?" Marilyn asked her. The guys all looked at her.

"Uh…yeah. I’m leaving you all on the 20^th. My sister’s high school graduation is the 21^st, so I’ll be going to Connecticut for a couple of days and I’ll meet up with you again in Detroit," she told them. "I assume that you don’t need a chaperone, Alex, right?" Maria asked her with a wink.

"Who me?" she asked back, as she smiled at Erik.

"When are you gonna get your work done?" Jacob asked, a hint of anger in his voice.

"I’ll get it done," Maria said, sitting down and taking a bite of her bagel. Jacob walked out of the room. Maria felt badly. What she had done hadn’t been fair to him. What did he think, though? She had just kissed him. It was no big deal. She was fooling around. But, what if he thought it was more than that. Maria had to admit the kiss had been more than just a little kiss. She hadn’t meant to kiss him so…deeply. Damn. She didn’t need this added stress. She stood up and went after him.

"How complicated is that little situation?" Alex asked. Marilyn had excused herself leaving the guys and Alex alone.

"They’re both professionals when it comes to working, so there shouldn’t be a problem," Dan said. He smiled when Dianna entered the room.

"Hi, everyone. Am I late for breakfast?" she asked.

"Dianna, come here," Trevor said. She walked over to him and he pulled her away from the others.

"I want you to do something for me," he said.