Bailey took a deep breath as Mrs.Jonas zippered up the back of her bright, white wedding gown. The silky material hugged her chest, down her torso and then flowing out at her hips. The dress was strapless, showing off the curves of her toned neck and collar bone. She wasn't wearing a single necklace, due to the fact that she really didn't need one. Her long, dark blonde hair was pulled backward in medium-sized ringlets, resting on her tanned back as she played with the engagement ring on her finger. She could already feel her freshly made-up eyes beginning to water as she thought about what would be happening within minutes. She was about to marry the love of her life.
"Aww. You look so adorable." Mrs.Jonas smiled after taking a step back to view her final piece. -She had been with Bailey the entire day, helping her with her hair, her make-up, her dress. She was treating her as if she were her own daughter, due to the fact that her own mother wasn't able to fly in to Cali until that day. Mrs.Jonas instantly stepped in, knowing that since she'd be her official daughter-in-law anyway, why not step in and play the role when she needed.
"I'm so nervous." Bailey shook her hands in front of her, beginning to slowly pace in front of the full length mirror in the side room of the hall where the wedding reception was going to be. The ceremony was being held outside of the hall itself out on the large, simply decorated terrace.
"Sweetie, there's no need to be nervous! You just half to walk down there and claim the man you love. It's quite simple." she replied, making it sound a lot easier than Bailey knew it would be.
"Knowing me, I'll be half-way down the isle and end up clipping my heel and face planting into the white carpet." Just after she said that, Bailey's ankle buckled from her pacing, causing her to grab a hold of the armchair that was nearby to regain her balance. "See?!" she cried.
"If you're making this hard on yourself, who knows how Joseph is doing." Mrs.Jonas sighed, still sighing at how beautiful her soon-to-be daughter-in-law looked.
- - - - -
"Dude, your hair is starting to curl." Nick hissed behind Joe, standing off behind him up at the alter. He turned around to glare at him. "Woah man, lighten up! This is supposed to be the happiest day of your life."
"And it would be if you would shut up." Joe mumbled to him through gritted teeth, then turned around to see the priest staring him down. He forced a toothy smile at his disturbed expression, then looked away.
"You need to take a breather." he listened to Kevin's voice that was only a foot further from Nick's. "You look like you're going to fall over. -Just take deep breaths."
Joe nodded, not even bothering to turn to look at his brothers. He couldn't. He was having issues just standing there himself. If he looked back at them, he was bound to have a freak-out. Seeing the endless rows of people sitting in front of him, staring straight up at the alter were overwhelming. Even standing inches away from the priest, Joe felt like disappearing. -As much as Joe wanted to marry the girl of his dreams, he wished it didn't have to be a public announcement. Yet, he was going through with it so he could have the girl of his dreams.
Right then, the music started. Listening as the Grand Piano began started playing a simple, wedding-type song, the people in their seats turned to see little Frankie making his way down the isle with a little pillow on his hand; one that consisted of the two wedding bands. (Yeah, it wasn't a typical wedding procedure, but the Jonas' & Bailey weren't your typical group of people either.)
Joe's throat then closed up as the familiar tune of 'Here Comes the Bride' began to fill his ears. The melody played for a few moments as everyone began to stand, turning towards the end of the white carpet that was rolled out towards the doorway of the hall that exited out onto the terrace. Joe uncontrollably inhaled a sharp gasp of air as she saw Bailey in the doorway, a bouquet in her hands. At that moment, he was surprised that his legs hadn't given out on him.
Watching as she slowly stepped towards him, down the walkway, Joe's lips were curled into a smile. His eyes beginning to water out of joy, he kept telling himself that he wasn't allowed to cry until afterwards. He was finally getting married.
Once Bailey reached the alter, she stopped and turned towards Joe after handing off her flowers to Sarah who was standing in her bridesmaid gown off behind her. Bailey then reached out and held onto Joe soft, warm hands; his grasp holding onto her own. He could easily see the extra glisten of wetness on her baby blue eyes. It was truly happening.
Listening as the priest went on and on and on about marriage, Joe nor Bailey really comprehended a word that left his mouth. They were too busy gawking at each other, taking in one another's beauty and passion. -If it wasn't for the priest addressing Joe by name, he probably would've ignored him, not breaking his stare with his fiancé.
Informing him of the specific vowels he was due to repeat, the man nodded as Joe began. He saw Bailey's lip slightly quiver as he spoke. He almost started crying himself. Towards the end, his voice cracked before he ended his wedding proposal. Bailey grinned with an 'I do' before repeating her own part, trying to keep her hand still as they begged to shake in Joe's grasp. Barely even finishing her statement, a tear slipped from her eye as she listened to his smooth voice reply; I do.
The entire time, even though the two hadn't noticed, their family and friends were in their seats with their eyes glued to them. Admiring the fact that they were truly in love with one another, more guests were teary eyed than hard-faced; and that was saying a lot when Bailey's dad was one of the ones wiping his eyes. In the end, everyone was there to support them, giving the entire ceremony the best vibe anyone could ever provide.
"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride." the priest smiled, watching as Bailey and Joe stepped towards each other, connecting their lips as everyone else began to clap; standing from their seats as a few people here and there whistled.
It wasn't too long before the entire crowd migrated into the hall, instantly heading to the buffet and open bar. Actually, make that a couple buffets and several bars. The newlyweds Bailey & Joe Jonas sure knew how to serve their guests. -Well, really, it was all down to Mr. and Mrs.Jonas and Bailey's parents. Joe and Bails themselves were absolutely clueless when it came to counting the people invited, putting together the menus and setting up the bars; which they were both legally able to drink at that point.
"Alright, who's up for a drink?" Bailey grinned, turning to the large table where the groom's best men and Sarah sat. Joe instantly shot up to his wife's side.
"I shall assist you, my dear." his cheesily kissed the top of her hand before leading her to the bar, fingers intertwined and smiles on their faces.
------------
"And that, little dude, is how you were made." Joe stated, his large arm draped around the tiny shoulders of his five-year-old son.
"Joseph, don't tell him that!" Bailey hissed, hitting him in the leg as he began to laugh.
"I was made at a bar?" the tiny boy asked, looking up from where he was playing with Joe's large, obnoxious gold watch.
"See what you taught him?" she chuckled, then connected her eyes with her son's. "Blake, your daddy is just a big stupid head. Never listen to him, okay?" she asked, watching her son grin and nod wildly.
"Hey hey hey, no fair!" Joe exclaimed, looking over at him. He could help but grin as his ruffled his boy's shirt hair, completely messing up his little fauxhawk he had going on.
"Mommy, I'm tired." their son, Blake, stated after pulling away from Joe and crawling onto Bailey's lap. She glanced at the giant clock across her and Joe's living room; it was 9pm, wayyyy past his bedtime.
Standing and grabbing his hand, Bailey causally led her son upstairs before tucking him in goodnight. Making her way back downstairs, she took her place by her husband's side on the couch.
"Told you we'd make cute babies." Joe mumbled into her neck, his arm wrapping around her waist. For once, he didn't object; they finally had the perfect little family.
Friday, October 1, 2010
The Jonas family, including Bailey who had been basically adopted into the family since she first started assisting them when she was 17, were only about halfway through their Christmas Eve dinner. Mrs.Jonas had proudly perfected the ham that she had practiced baking a week and a half prior, and Mr.Jonas was anxious to pop the cork on his favorite white wine. Sitting around the large, rectangular table, Papa J was at one end with Momma at the other. On one long side, starting with Frankie closest to his mother, were Bailey and Joe. Then across from the cute pair was Kevin, and then Nick on his left closest to their mother.
The whole table has pretty much slowed down eating and had almost consumed their second servings. Momma J certainly knew how to cook. Since the band had faded out a bit, she was lucky to be home sweet home with her family all together. Everyone definitely enjoyed it a lot better than being cramped on a moving tour bus, trying to keep the peace with all the distractions.
"You know. . ." Mrs.Jonas began, her eyes averted downward as she set down her fork. The entire table knew that there was something on her mind. She only started 'important' conversations with 'You know.' Everyone knew that it was going to be good, and that it had to have been something that had been on her mind for quite a while. "- I knew I had good kids, but I didn't know they were this good." she continued, receiving a few lost expressions from her random statement. The table waited for her to redeem herself. "Well, I mean, raising you boys and guiding you with good morals has really paid off. -You aren't in the news for smoking marijuana before shows, letting provocative photos leak on the internet. -I'm really proud of you guys. -And Bailey, you too."
The feminine blue eyes looked up from the white table cloth and to the right to look at Mrs.Jonas, her eyes smiling sincerely. Bailey hadn't really expected that comment. Joe and Kevin were blowing a bit too, even more appreciative that their mother was expressing herself freely in front of the family. Nick on the other hand, knew she what his mother was getting at. An uneasy feeling erupted in his stomach as he thought of the former friend she was knowingly referring to.
"I'm being really serious." their mother carried .. hearing about Miley in the news yesterday, - "
"Mom." Nick sighed, avoiding eye contact with her. Even though he was now 18, everyone still seemed to refer back to him when the latest Miley scandal unfolded. They hadn't dated, let alone been friends, in years. It was easily aggravating to still be linked to her. He knew that his mother was aware that he had full moved on, it still stung to hear about her. I mean, at one point, he did care for her.
"-I'm sorry sweetie. I just can't get over the fact that she might be pregnant. -That young girl, exposed to all the Hollywood perks and drags at such a young age. . .This sounds bad, but it makes me feel a thousand times better knowing that my boys, and adopted daughter, aren't running around doing bad things and having sex."
The water that was on it's was down Bailey's throat magically froze and shot back up to her mouth, her hand instantly moving to cover it. Joe's steel fork hit his porcelain plate as it slipped from his fingers; Kevin began to cough as if something he had just swallowed went 'down the wrong tube'. Nick just froze.
Ironically enough, their parents didn't know about the fact that Joe had lost his purity when he was 18. Of course Joe and the others didn't like lying to their parents, but they didn't want to break their hearts either; or end up on the front page next to Miley. There was no choice but to continue to hold that little secret.
"What's going on?" Mrs.Jonas finally asked. Every single person at the table knew that she wasn't stupid. Someone had to think of something fast.
"Oh, I just -" Bailey's mind raced, her heart quickly picking up the pace. She could only imagine what she'd say if she found out that she had sex with her son before marriage. "-I hadn't heard that Miley might be pregnant. It's kind of surprising." she lied, thanking God for that little bit of her acting talent to kick in. Funny thing is, Bailey was one of the first to hear about the Miley/Preggers thing, but she could've cared less if it was really true or not. That was the price to pay in Hollywood.
All Mrs.Jonas did was sigh and shake her head, obviously still not believing the news herself. "She was such a sweet girl. . ." her eyes shifted downward, Bailey glancing up worriedly over at Nick and Kevin; looking over at Joe would've been too risky. If their mother found out about what they did, they're be in the shit-hole for life.
"Well, that was a delicious dinner, Mother Dearest." Frankie beamed next to her. She looked up and smiled as the rest of the table let the relieve wave over their bodies. Thank you, Frankie.
"Wow, he doesn't take up after Joseph at all." Nick chuckled before the rest of the family joined in as referred to his youngest brother's brown nosing. He didn't care; he was just glad that the tension was eased a bit.
"Actually, Joe would've said something like, 'Mommy, dinner was really really really yummy.' -instead of using 'big' words such as delicious. Looks like the Tank is a few leaps ahead." Bailey laughed for a split second before everyone else joined in. Joe's distinct laugh filled her left ear as she felt his hand lightly squeeze her thigh from under the table. Her hand instinctively made it's way to his.
A few moments passed as a majority of the family filed out into the living room. "Can I open on? Frankie pleaded. "Please please please?" the 10 year old jumped around in front of the Christmas tree. Bailey plopped down on the floor beside the couch as Mr. and Mrs.Jonas and Nick took up most of the space. Joe and Kevin were still in the kitchen.
"I supposed we could all open one tonight." Mrs.Jonas caved, loving the mood and bright auras that filled her home; she didn't want to ruin them. It was only Christmas Eve, one gift wouldn't hurt. At the sound of his mother's words, Frankie's excitement seemed to sky rocket a few more levels. "-But, you have to pass out one gift to everyone else first." You could see his face drop, then spike back up as he darted down to the floor beneath the tree.
"I'll go get the other children." Bailey chuckled, getting up from the floor after seeing Mrs.J's warm smile.
Adjusting the tie on her dark, plaid PJ pants, she began walking towards the kitchen before re-doing the messy bun on the top of her head. She began to speak once her feet hit the cold kitchen floor.
"Hey sweet cheeks." she grinned, seeing Joe's back facing her. Kevin stood in front of him. By the expression on his face, she could tell that she interrupted something. She had every intention of turning around and quickly leaving until Joe spun around to face her. Once their eyes connected, his widened, then glanced down at what was in his hand. Bailey froze.
"Merry Christmas?" Joe's voice was questionable, but his lips revealed a toothy grin. Bailey went to speak, but she heard Frankie's monstroserous footsteps. Within seconds, his high voice echoed in the kitchen.
"Joe! That was my present to Bailey!" he shrieked, stomping over to the new, lime green gecko.
"Franki, I had to save him! You shoved him in the shoe box and wrapped it in paper; without holes!" Joe exclaimed in response, his voice sounding thoughtful and rehearsed.
"Liar! -You were creeping!" Frankie yelled.
"Um. . .you mean peaking? Or maybe, peeping?" Bailey asked, wanting to laugh.
"Yeah! Peeping!" he continued.
"Ok, ok." Bailey put her hands up, trying to somewhat quiet things, looking back and forth between the brothers. "Where's the shoebox? We can just add some holes, put him back in there, and everything will be alright. -Ok, Frankie?" she asked, then received a simple nod. Noticing the shoe box on the kitchen counter that clearly had a name tag reading "GODZILLA", Bailey made her way over there and flipped the lid open, gasping at the sight before her.
Staring down at the tiny box that was flipped open, a single diamond ring glistened up at her. Her nose began to burn as she felt a body step up behind her.
"Will you marry me?"
The whole table has pretty much slowed down eating and had almost consumed their second servings. Momma J certainly knew how to cook. Since the band had faded out a bit, she was lucky to be home sweet home with her family all together. Everyone definitely enjoyed it a lot better than being cramped on a moving tour bus, trying to keep the peace with all the distractions.
"You know. . ." Mrs.Jonas began, her eyes averted downward as she set down her fork. The entire table knew that there was something on her mind. She only started 'important' conversations with 'You know.' Everyone knew that it was going to be good, and that it had to have been something that had been on her mind for quite a while. "- I knew I had good kids, but I didn't know they were this good." she continued, receiving a few lost expressions from her random statement. The table waited for her to redeem herself. "Well, I mean, raising you boys and guiding you with good morals has really paid off. -You aren't in the news for smoking marijuana before shows, letting provocative photos leak on the internet. -I'm really proud of you guys. -And Bailey, you too."
The feminine blue eyes looked up from the white table cloth and to the right to look at Mrs.Jonas, her eyes smiling sincerely. Bailey hadn't really expected that comment. Joe and Kevin were blowing a bit too, even more appreciative that their mother was expressing herself freely in front of the family. Nick on the other hand, knew she what his mother was getting at. An uneasy feeling erupted in his stomach as he thought of the former friend she was knowingly referring to.
"I'm being really serious." their mother carried .. hearing about Miley in the news yesterday, - "
"Mom." Nick sighed, avoiding eye contact with her. Even though he was now 18, everyone still seemed to refer back to him when the latest Miley scandal unfolded. They hadn't dated, let alone been friends, in years. It was easily aggravating to still be linked to her. He knew that his mother was aware that he had full moved on, it still stung to hear about her. I mean, at one point, he did care for her.
"-I'm sorry sweetie. I just can't get over the fact that she might be pregnant. -That young girl, exposed to all the Hollywood perks and drags at such a young age. . .This sounds bad, but it makes me feel a thousand times better knowing that my boys, and adopted daughter, aren't running around doing bad things and having sex."
The water that was on it's was down Bailey's throat magically froze and shot back up to her mouth, her hand instantly moving to cover it. Joe's steel fork hit his porcelain plate as it slipped from his fingers; Kevin began to cough as if something he had just swallowed went 'down the wrong tube'. Nick just froze.
Ironically enough, their parents didn't know about the fact that Joe had lost his purity when he was 18. Of course Joe and the others didn't like lying to their parents, but they didn't want to break their hearts either; or end up on the front page next to Miley. There was no choice but to continue to hold that little secret.
"What's going on?" Mrs.Jonas finally asked. Every single person at the table knew that she wasn't stupid. Someone had to think of something fast.
"Oh, I just -" Bailey's mind raced, her heart quickly picking up the pace. She could only imagine what she'd say if she found out that she had sex with her son before marriage. "-I hadn't heard that Miley might be pregnant. It's kind of surprising." she lied, thanking God for that little bit of her acting talent to kick in. Funny thing is, Bailey was one of the first to hear about the Miley/Preggers thing, but she could've cared less if it was really true or not. That was the price to pay in Hollywood.
All Mrs.Jonas did was sigh and shake her head, obviously still not believing the news herself. "She was such a sweet girl. . ." her eyes shifted downward, Bailey glancing up worriedly over at Nick and Kevin; looking over at Joe would've been too risky. If their mother found out about what they did, they're be in the shit-hole for life.
"Well, that was a delicious dinner, Mother Dearest." Frankie beamed next to her. She looked up and smiled as the rest of the table let the relieve wave over their bodies. Thank you, Frankie.
"Wow, he doesn't take up after Joseph at all." Nick chuckled before the rest of the family joined in as referred to his youngest brother's brown nosing. He didn't care; he was just glad that the tension was eased a bit.
"Actually, Joe would've said something like, 'Mommy, dinner was really really really yummy.' -instead of using 'big' words such as delicious. Looks like the Tank is a few leaps ahead." Bailey laughed for a split second before everyone else joined in. Joe's distinct laugh filled her left ear as she felt his hand lightly squeeze her thigh from under the table. Her hand instinctively made it's way to his.
A few moments passed as a majority of the family filed out into the living room. "Can I open on? Frankie pleaded. "Please please please?" the 10 year old jumped around in front of the Christmas tree. Bailey plopped down on the floor beside the couch as Mr. and Mrs.Jonas and Nick took up most of the space. Joe and Kevin were still in the kitchen.
"I supposed we could all open one tonight." Mrs.Jonas caved, loving the mood and bright auras that filled her home; she didn't want to ruin them. It was only Christmas Eve, one gift wouldn't hurt. At the sound of his mother's words, Frankie's excitement seemed to sky rocket a few more levels. "-But, you have to pass out one gift to everyone else first." You could see his face drop, then spike back up as he darted down to the floor beneath the tree.
"I'll go get the other children." Bailey chuckled, getting up from the floor after seeing Mrs.J's warm smile.
Adjusting the tie on her dark, plaid PJ pants, she began walking towards the kitchen before re-doing the messy bun on the top of her head. She began to speak once her feet hit the cold kitchen floor.
"Hey sweet cheeks." she grinned, seeing Joe's back facing her. Kevin stood in front of him. By the expression on his face, she could tell that she interrupted something. She had every intention of turning around and quickly leaving until Joe spun around to face her. Once their eyes connected, his widened, then glanced down at what was in his hand. Bailey froze.
"Merry Christmas?" Joe's voice was questionable, but his lips revealed a toothy grin. Bailey went to speak, but she heard Frankie's monstroserous footsteps. Within seconds, his high voice echoed in the kitchen.
"Joe! That was my present to Bailey!" he shrieked, stomping over to the new, lime green gecko.
"Franki, I had to save him! You shoved him in the shoe box and wrapped it in paper; without holes!" Joe exclaimed in response, his voice sounding thoughtful and rehearsed.
"Liar! -You were creeping!" Frankie yelled.
"Um. . .you mean peaking? Or maybe, peeping?" Bailey asked, wanting to laugh.
"Yeah! Peeping!" he continued.
"Ok, ok." Bailey put her hands up, trying to somewhat quiet things, looking back and forth between the brothers. "Where's the shoebox? We can just add some holes, put him back in there, and everything will be alright. -Ok, Frankie?" she asked, then received a simple nod. Noticing the shoe box on the kitchen counter that clearly had a name tag reading "GODZILLA", Bailey made her way over there and flipped the lid open, gasping at the sight before her.
Staring down at the tiny box that was flipped open, a single diamond ring glistened up at her. Her nose began to burn as she felt a body step up behind her.
"Will you marry me?"
The air was frigid and the ground was white. The sun was bright, yet the flakes maintained their form. Driveways throughout the Wyckoff neighborhood were occupied as smoke exited from the chimneys and into the baby blue sky. It was a gorgeous day for the end of December.
The spacious Jonas household, for the most part, was calm. Kevin and Nick were in the basement messing around with a few tunes, Mr. and Mrs.Jonas were socializing in the warm kitchen as a honey ham backed in the oven. Bailey was playing with Frankie upstairs in his bedroom while Joe lounged on the couch in the living room, an X-Box 306 controller in his hands.
"Kill me again, Garbo, and I quit." Joe spoke into his X-Box Live mic. He listened as Garbo laughed in his own headset from a few towns over. "I'm freaking serious."
Within seconds, consistent gunshots from Halo 5 echoed in his ears. Groaning in frustration, Joe snatched off his headset and slammed it into the couch before jolting up and turning the game console off, completely overreacting for his age of 21. Garbo always knew how to get to him, and he seemed to enjoy every moment of it. It was then when Joe heard a pair of feet quickly clomp down the stairs. He knew that sound from anywhere. It was Mommy's little monster.
"Hey Frankie." Joe called out before listening to him run past the opening of the living room. "Wanna play with me?"
"Can't." he exclaimed without hesitation, almost out of his brother's earshot.
"Why not?!" Joe spat in surprise, his mind pondering as to why he had just been rejected by his 10-year-old brother.
"Bailey's taking me sledding." Frankie replied a few moments after receiving his mother's permission from the kitchen.
"-And you'd rather go with her than keep your own flesh and blood company?" he questioned, his tone saddening on queue.
"Yep." Frankie nodded instantly as he hurried back to the stairs. He heard an angry groan from Joe. "-Hey, it's not my fault she's cooler than you." He smirked before finally disappearing.
"Oh yeah!?" he shouted in return, pausing for a moment before snatching up the remote to the TV. He then breathed out, his voice low. "Whatever."
It was then when another set of footsteps were heard; soft, yet, distinct. He could already smell her perfume.
"Hey, Boo." Bailey smiled over at Joe after sinking into the couch at his side. "Garbo t-bag you again?"
"I am not speaking to you." He informed stubbornly, keeping his stare ahead at the television screen and causing Bailey to roll her eyes.
"So, you coming with me and the Tank?" she asked, ignoring his little attitude.
"I do not take part in such childish activities." He turned up his nose before Bailey punched him in the thigh, causing him to laugh and lean his body to the side and into her own. "Just kidding." He cooed, transitioning from his little arrogant act and into his normal, fun-loving self. "-But no, I can't go. I've gotta run out for my mom and pick her up a few things." He informed, remembering that he did have something to do.
"Bummer." She sighed before pushing his shaggy head off her shoulder. "I was looking forward to going out and fooling around, only to come back inside from the freezing cold and cuddling with you while downing a few mugs of hot chocolate." She began, her voice softening with every word that dripped from her tongue. Quickly, she stood from the couch and perked up, killing the cute little atmosphere that her simple words created. "Guess not." Bailey watched as Joe's mind began to turn.
"-Tempting, but. . .Momma wins. She's been on my case for a few days now about it." He reluctantly stated, almost forgetting about his plans and going with her. "Where are you going?" he questioned, sounding a bit hurt as she proceeded to walk away from him.
"To put on my swooshy pants and snow boots, duh." She replied, almost laughing at her self as to how much of a kid she felt like.
"You'd rather go sledding with a smelly 10-year-old than bum it here with me on the warm, fuzzy couch?" Joe asked, his body now turned on the cushion to he could face her in the doorway.
"Hmm." Bailey paused, then put one hand, palm up, at her shoulder level. "Sledding?" Her other hand then flipped palm up at her bellybutton, as if it were an imaginary scale weighing out her choices. "-Or Joe Jonas?" she then shook her hand that was higher in the air. "Sledding wins." She grinned, satisfied with her boyfriend's dropped jaw. "Have fun picking up stuff for you mom!" she commented before leaving Joe on the couch. She made sure to keep her laughter in until she got up to her room.
- - - - -
"You really love her, don't you?" Kevin asked out loud, his eyes watching his younger brother as he stared down into the glistening, glass casing. The glow from the display reflected off Joe's face as he drew his eyes away from the tiny, expensive items below him. His gaze said it all. "Ok." Kevin chuckled, withdrawing his question and making his way to his brother's side.
"Which do you like better?" Joe began pointing to two engagement rings beneath the glass. "The one on the top left, or on the far bottom right?" he glanced up at Kevin as he awaited his opinion.
"Hmm. . .Maybe. . .The bottom right. It's beautiful." He stated, the freshly cut diamond captivating his stare.
"Eh." Joe muttered, re-attracting his attention to the case and gazing down at the angelic object. "It's too bulky. –Bails wouldn't want it to blind someone a mile away. I like the other one better."
"Then why'd you even ask me what I thought?" Kevin laughed in response, causing Joe to give a silent shrug. For once in a long time, he didn't have anything to say. Knowing that this was a huge thing for his brother, he knew not to say anything negative. "It won't matter any way; she'll love whatever you pick out. Hell, it could be a 25 cent ring rrom outside of the Chinese restaurant down the road and she'd love it."
"I could see you giving your girl a ring-pop as an engagement ring." Joe let out a soft laugh, only half of his mind paying attention to reality. He saw Kevin nod in agreement from the corner of his eye. "I don't know, man." He breathed out, thinking over and over again what to get. "This is going to be like, the second biggest thing ever."
"Second?" Kevin questioned, making a weird face. "What's first?" Joe glanced over at his brother, held onto his stare for a moment, then looked away. He had absolutely no intention of explaining it to him. "In the order of big things, all I can think about is that you fall in love, get engaged, get married, then. . ." Kevin trailed off, his eyes falling down to the top of the glass where Joe's hands rested, his purity ring sparkling in the light. He went silent as Joe slowly turned his head. "You didn't." his voice softened to a slight gasp.
"You're quick there, Sherlock." Joe stated, keeping a stern face. As much as he wanted to laugh at how slow his oldest brother was, he couldn't. He was too nerve wrecked to even crack a smile.
"You mean to tell me that you and Bails already did it?" Kevin questioned, his voice low so the other people browsing in the jewelry store wouldn't hear. Joe flickered his eyebrows over at him, not even bothering to confirm. "No way." He hissed in disbelief.
"Dude, do you even know how long it's been?" Joe questioned, surprised at how much Kevin had 'missed'. "-Remember that big thing I did for her 18th birthday?"
"OhmyGod." Kevin exhaled, looking away, feeling a slight bit of embarrassment. "I can't believe you caved before me." Joe cackled at his comment. "I'm assuming mom doesn't know?"
"Are you kidding? I wouldn't be breathing right now if she did."
"All I can say is. . .wow." Kevin chuckled before scratching his forehead. "-In that case, we shouldn't be shopping for a ring. There's a Victoria's Secret down the road."
The spacious Jonas household, for the most part, was calm. Kevin and Nick were in the basement messing around with a few tunes, Mr. and Mrs.Jonas were socializing in the warm kitchen as a honey ham backed in the oven. Bailey was playing with Frankie upstairs in his bedroom while Joe lounged on the couch in the living room, an X-Box 306 controller in his hands.
"Kill me again, Garbo, and I quit." Joe spoke into his X-Box Live mic. He listened as Garbo laughed in his own headset from a few towns over. "I'm freaking serious."
Within seconds, consistent gunshots from Halo 5 echoed in his ears. Groaning in frustration, Joe snatched off his headset and slammed it into the couch before jolting up and turning the game console off, completely overreacting for his age of 21. Garbo always knew how to get to him, and he seemed to enjoy every moment of it. It was then when Joe heard a pair of feet quickly clomp down the stairs. He knew that sound from anywhere. It was Mommy's little monster.
"Hey Frankie." Joe called out before listening to him run past the opening of the living room. "Wanna play with me?"
"Can't." he exclaimed without hesitation, almost out of his brother's earshot.
"Why not?!" Joe spat in surprise, his mind pondering as to why he had just been rejected by his 10-year-old brother.
"Bailey's taking me sledding." Frankie replied a few moments after receiving his mother's permission from the kitchen.
"-And you'd rather go with her than keep your own flesh and blood company?" he questioned, his tone saddening on queue.
"Yep." Frankie nodded instantly as he hurried back to the stairs. He heard an angry groan from Joe. "-Hey, it's not my fault she's cooler than you." He smirked before finally disappearing.
"Oh yeah!?" he shouted in return, pausing for a moment before snatching up the remote to the TV. He then breathed out, his voice low. "Whatever."
It was then when another set of footsteps were heard; soft, yet, distinct. He could already smell her perfume.
"Hey, Boo." Bailey smiled over at Joe after sinking into the couch at his side. "Garbo t-bag you again?"
"I am not speaking to you." He informed stubbornly, keeping his stare ahead at the television screen and causing Bailey to roll her eyes.
"So, you coming with me and the Tank?" she asked, ignoring his little attitude.
"I do not take part in such childish activities." He turned up his nose before Bailey punched him in the thigh, causing him to laugh and lean his body to the side and into her own. "Just kidding." He cooed, transitioning from his little arrogant act and into his normal, fun-loving self. "-But no, I can't go. I've gotta run out for my mom and pick her up a few things." He informed, remembering that he did have something to do.
"Bummer." She sighed before pushing his shaggy head off her shoulder. "I was looking forward to going out and fooling around, only to come back inside from the freezing cold and cuddling with you while downing a few mugs of hot chocolate." She began, her voice softening with every word that dripped from her tongue. Quickly, she stood from the couch and perked up, killing the cute little atmosphere that her simple words created. "Guess not." Bailey watched as Joe's mind began to turn.
"-Tempting, but. . .Momma wins. She's been on my case for a few days now about it." He reluctantly stated, almost forgetting about his plans and going with her. "Where are you going?" he questioned, sounding a bit hurt as she proceeded to walk away from him.
"To put on my swooshy pants and snow boots, duh." She replied, almost laughing at her self as to how much of a kid she felt like.
"You'd rather go sledding with a smelly 10-year-old than bum it here with me on the warm, fuzzy couch?" Joe asked, his body now turned on the cushion to he could face her in the doorway.
"Hmm." Bailey paused, then put one hand, palm up, at her shoulder level. "Sledding?" Her other hand then flipped palm up at her bellybutton, as if it were an imaginary scale weighing out her choices. "-Or Joe Jonas?" she then shook her hand that was higher in the air. "Sledding wins." She grinned, satisfied with her boyfriend's dropped jaw. "Have fun picking up stuff for you mom!" she commented before leaving Joe on the couch. She made sure to keep her laughter in until she got up to her room.
- - - - -
"You really love her, don't you?" Kevin asked out loud, his eyes watching his younger brother as he stared down into the glistening, glass casing. The glow from the display reflected off Joe's face as he drew his eyes away from the tiny, expensive items below him. His gaze said it all. "Ok." Kevin chuckled, withdrawing his question and making his way to his brother's side.
"Which do you like better?" Joe began pointing to two engagement rings beneath the glass. "The one on the top left, or on the far bottom right?" he glanced up at Kevin as he awaited his opinion.
"Hmm. . .Maybe. . .The bottom right. It's beautiful." He stated, the freshly cut diamond captivating his stare.
"Eh." Joe muttered, re-attracting his attention to the case and gazing down at the angelic object. "It's too bulky. –Bails wouldn't want it to blind someone a mile away. I like the other one better."
"Then why'd you even ask me what I thought?" Kevin laughed in response, causing Joe to give a silent shrug. For once in a long time, he didn't have anything to say. Knowing that this was a huge thing for his brother, he knew not to say anything negative. "It won't matter any way; she'll love whatever you pick out. Hell, it could be a 25 cent ring rrom outside of the Chinese restaurant down the road and she'd love it."
"I could see you giving your girl a ring-pop as an engagement ring." Joe let out a soft laugh, only half of his mind paying attention to reality. He saw Kevin nod in agreement from the corner of his eye. "I don't know, man." He breathed out, thinking over and over again what to get. "This is going to be like, the second biggest thing ever."
"Second?" Kevin questioned, making a weird face. "What's first?" Joe glanced over at his brother, held onto his stare for a moment, then looked away. He had absolutely no intention of explaining it to him. "In the order of big things, all I can think about is that you fall in love, get engaged, get married, then. . ." Kevin trailed off, his eyes falling down to the top of the glass where Joe's hands rested, his purity ring sparkling in the light. He went silent as Joe slowly turned his head. "You didn't." his voice softened to a slight gasp.
"You're quick there, Sherlock." Joe stated, keeping a stern face. As much as he wanted to laugh at how slow his oldest brother was, he couldn't. He was too nerve wrecked to even crack a smile.
"You mean to tell me that you and Bails already did it?" Kevin questioned, his voice low so the other people browsing in the jewelry store wouldn't hear. Joe flickered his eyebrows over at him, not even bothering to confirm. "No way." He hissed in disbelief.
"Dude, do you even know how long it's been?" Joe questioned, surprised at how much Kevin had 'missed'. "-Remember that big thing I did for her 18th birthday?"
"OhmyGod." Kevin exhaled, looking away, feeling a slight bit of embarrassment. "I can't believe you caved before me." Joe cackled at his comment. "I'm assuming mom doesn't know?"
"Are you kidding? I wouldn't be breathing right now if she did."
"All I can say is. . .wow." Kevin chuckled before scratching his forehead. "-In that case, we shouldn't be shopping for a ring. There's a Victoria's Secret down the road."
Bailey glanced around the bare room, her suitcases by her heels and her hands on her hips. Her thoughts of Joe's weird attitude were then interrupted by a knock at the door. She then made her way to the dull frame and pulled it open. Her eyes widening at the sight before her, she stepped out of the doorway for the trio to pass. Walking into the room with a purple, masseuse table, towels, and a duffle bag, an Asian woman entered. On her heels was her make-up/hairdresser from 'Traffic Jam', Kathy, along with a younger girl who looked just like her, except about 20 years younger.
Within moments, the massage bench was set up, the young girl had a nail kit open and ready to go, and Kathy was already unwrapping her hairdryer and plugging in her hair rollers.
"Ready to get to work?" Kathy grinned over at Bailey's expressionless face. "Oh, c'mon sweetie. This is nothing new. -Oh, Bails, this is Sue Yung, she's going to help get rid of all that tension inside of you, along with that ugly face you're giving me right now. And then this is my daughter Sami, she'll help make those things you call nails all pretty and prepped up." she finished with as much enthusiasm as she had started with. A little taken a back by everything being shot at her all at once, Bailey just stood there, eyeing the three females.
"You famous mow. You stressful. I help relieve." Sue nodded in Bailey's direction, then waved for her to lay on the bench before her. After a moment, she finally came to her senses. Bailey gave up on the mental battle she was losing herself to and approached the cushioned bench. Lifting a leg over and then pulling her body onto the purple material, Bailey peeked her head over the edge and rested her face in the circular piece. Within a few seconds, she felt Sue's hands on her shoulders, then her thumbs digging into her flesh. "Wow. You ver tense." all Bailey responded with was a simple groan as her eyes slowly began to close. "I fix."
"So, um. . ." she listened as Kathy tried to think of a conversation starter. "I brought Sami with me; she's a big fan!"
"Hey Sami." Bailey's voice was pointed downward through the headpiece of the massage table, her hand coming up to her side as she gave a little half-assed wave.
"Hi." she heard Sami reply before listening as a few nail polish bottles clinked together.
"Speaking of fans, how's your number one?" Kathy began, smiling as she brushed the back of her hand on the hair roller case to feel the heat.
"What, my mom?" Bailey questioned.
"No, no." Kathy laughed. "Joe." a tiny smile appeared on her lips as she waited the young lover's response.
"Ugh." was all she responded with, obviously not wanting to talk about him. "This feels really good." Bailey muttered, her eyes still shut as Sue continued massaging her back.
"So, does he have anything planned for tonight?" Sami questioned, causing both Sue and Kathy to glare over at her as if she had said something scared. "I-I mean, so, what are you doing tonight? For the big eighteen." she covered up.
"I have no frikkin' idea." Bailey blurted out. "-But Joe's really pissing me off."
"Oh?" Kathy questioned, even though at this point she knew everything that was going on. She expected Bailey to be a little moody and house a sour attitude, but she didn't expect this little 'plan' to get to her that much.
"It's been over a week and I've been missing him like crazy. Then, we get here and he just dumps me here with you guys, -no offense, and to be honest, all I want to do is just spend time with him wearing a pair of sweats, hair a mess, with a box of pizza in a hotel room or something. Nothing fancy."
"You hush now. Enjoy massage. Stop the whine." Sue ordered. "We prep for good night. No worry." Bailey smiled to the floor at her broken English and finally began to relax a little.
"But still. . ." she continued, her mind cranking as she thought things over once again. Taking a deep breath, she interrupted the massage and rolled over, her hand digging in the pocket of her jeans for her cell phone. "I'm calling him. I can't go without talking to him." she stated, her eyes focused down on her phone as the other three exchanged worried glances.
- - - - -
"Don't answer it." Bobby ordered as Joe pulled out his vibrating cell phone. Glancing up at the dark, spiky haired boy from across the table in a small café in Miami, he reluctantly obeyed and placed his phone on the table as Bailey's named blinked across the screen.
"You know, I'm beginning to have second thoughts about this crap." Joe spat once the phone seized all movement. All he wanted to do was see and talk to Bailey, but for the entire afternoon he was kept from doing so.
"You know, so am I." Bobby stated before Joe nodded, somewhat glad that he seemed to agree. "You're so stubborn, it's unreal. -You're just like her, you know."
"Hey!" Joe exclaimed, obviously not expecting him to take that route.
"When you asked for a favor, you said to do whatever I needed to get things to work. This little emo bullshit is keeping me from going that."
"Oh my God, you're so gay." Joe huffed in defeat, knowing that his 'queer eye' for this 'romantic' plan was going to turn out perfect, even if he had to do everything he was told.
"I know this?" Bobby questioned in confusion with an unsure chuckle. He had 'come out' only weeks after the 'Traffic Jam' premiere, breaking thousands of little girls' hearts across the US. Joe knew he was
"Well, I hate to admit it, and I don't mean to offend you. . .but, you sound like a chick, dude." Joe made a weird face after listening to his own comment.
"Yeah, well. . .shuttup, and c'mon. We've got to get going. We don't want to be running late." Bobby stated, picking up his coffee cup and his scrunched up napkin as Joe kicked out his steel chair.
- - - - -
"I feel so relaxed, it's unbelievable." Bailey sighed back into the cushioned armchair. Her hands relaxed on the arm rests as Sami applied a 2nd coat of an aqua blue to her toenails. Bringing her wet fingers to her lips, Bailey softly blew on them to quicken the drying process as Kathy primped her hair from behind.
"I thought you didn't really care for the 'curly' look?" Kathy questioned as she carefully took a large, warm roller out of Bailey's dark blonde hair.
"I don't, really. . .but Joe likes it." she replied simply, shrugging her shoulders.
"Aw." she smiled in return as a squeak echoed in the room.
"Ew, there be mice?" Sue exclaimed, utter confusion and disgust taking over her face as she looked up from the magazine she was flipping through.
"No, no." Bailey laughed from her chair. "It was my phone. New text." she nodded towards her phone that was on the end table a yard or two away from her as Sami screwed the brush back into the nail polish bottle. Not expecting Kathy to retrieve it, Bailey felt a little bad. She was beginning to feel like a Pre-Madonna, but it wasn't her fault. They insisted on making every little move for her. After flipping her cell open with her palm, her eyes scrunched in confusion. "Weird. . .it's from a restricted number." she muttered, then read the text out loud.
"go look in the bathroom.
-Private"
"Looks like you have a little stalker." Sami commented, flicking her eyebrows up and down flirtatiously before her expression changed to a startled one. "Oh my God, maybe they're watching us now." she stated quickly, then turning to the windows that were covered with a cream colored curtain.
"Uh-huh, sure. Because now people have special glasses that can see through rough, cotton/polyester crap." Bailey rolled her eyes with a chuckle as she texted back with a simple 'WTF'. Within moments, there was a response. One that made her burst out into laughter.
"asdfjkl; juSt g0 Lo0k iN thA baFfro0m!
-Private"
"Wow. You think that would've taken a little bit of time to key in." Sami laughed, obviously down with the ridiculous IM language. Instantly agreeing, Bailey then stood from the chair and stomped on her heels to the bathroom, careful not to mess up her freshly painted toes. Laying on the porcelain toilet seat was a silver envelope and a peach colored rose on top. Grabbing the two and thumping back into the open room, she held up the two items.
"How romantic." Sami cooed with a cheesy grin.
"Yeah. . .a fancy envelope and a rose. . .on a toilet seat." Bailey laughed, shaking her head and knowing who had to have put it there.
"What's it say?" Kathy questioned with a smirk, obviously in on the whole thing.
"I don't know. I can't open it." Bailey laughed, handing the envelope to Sami because of her wet fingernails.
"Ok, ok. Ahem." Sami began, holding the little card up in front of her. "You are cordially, -which is spelled wrong, by the way. - invited to have the best night of your life. Your attendance is required in the ballroom of the Hilton. 532 Tab Drive, Miami, Florida." she looked up from the text and grinned.
"Let me see!" Bailey beamed, hurrying over and retrieving the card from her. Her smile grew even more when she noticed Joe's handwriting on the sparkly paper. "-At 6 o'clock?!" she began to panic.
"Calm down and take a breather." Kathy chuckled. "You've got pretty much everything done anyway. You just have to get dressed in that little dress Sami picked out, do a little bit of make-up, strap on those heels and get going. Then, the hall is like 5 minutes down the road."
"Ballroom." Bailey corrected, the word sticking out in her mind as she picture what the set-up could possibly look like.
"Alright. One hour. We can do this!" Kathy exclaimed, then received a stern nod from Bailey who threw herself back down into the chair.
"Make me beautiful, baby."
- - - - -
"She's not going to find this place." Bobby put his hands on his hips as Joe stabbed a large post into the ground off beside the Hilton. The soil was a bit moist, sliding the 'Tab Drive' sign into it. Yanking it straight a few times, then taking a step back and analyzing it's position, Joe nodded in satisfaction. "God, you're so weird."
"Just shut up, Bobby." he snapped, glaring over at him, then flicking out his wrist and looking down at his obnoxious gold watch.
"Jeeze, spazz." Bobby huffed, crossing his arms across his chest and narrowing his eyes over at his planning partner. This was the only idea Joe really had control over, and Bobby was convinced that it was totally stupid. The only reason he gave in and let him do the ridiculous 'Tab Drive' thing was because he claimed it had a 'deep meaning' and that it'd really mean a lot to Bailey. He begged to differ, but went with it anyway.
"I'm just. . .nerve wrecked. Five minutes and it's 6pm. This needs to be perfect." he stated.
"Joseph, -" he began, stepping forward and reaching out for his tie. Straightening it out and brushing off the shoulders of his black blazer, Bobby was beginning to feel like a 'mother' releasing 'her' son to his first prom. Once that thought entered his mind, Joe shook his hands away and tugged his blazer out himself. "- you really love her, don't you? I've never seen you so nervous." he chuckled.
"More than ever." Joe breathed out, his heart picking up the pace a bit.
"Now, I'm going to go wait in the lobby for your girl so she won't get lost." Bobby stated, backing up towards the front of the Hilton.
"She won't get lost." Joe chuckled, rolling his eyes as his anticipation for her arrival grew with every second. His mind even began to drift to what she was wearing."Twenty says she won't know where to go." Bobby challenged boldly.
"You're on." he accepted the little bet, then shook his hand firmly before watching him head to the front of the hotel. Shoving his hands into the pockets of his dark, tight pants in nervousness, Joe then turned around and started down the dirt path of the unofficial 'Tab Drive'.
- - - - -
"Like I said, Miss. There's no such thing as a 'Tab Drive.'" the moody driver eyed her in the rearview mirror. "- but this is the only Hilton in the area." he sighed. Biting her lip in frustration, Bailey fought off the tears of emotion before stomping out of the limo and slamming the door. The stress that Sue Yung had rubbed out of her had returned once she rushed out of her own hotel ten after six, With her leaving the hotel late and the driver got lost as well, that made her an extra eleven minutes late. Whatever was planned for her, she hoped to God she didn't mess up.
With the screech of tires, the limo sped off, obviously equally fed up with Bailey herself. Arguing with the driver over a street that 'didn't exist' kind of put her in a sour mood, added onto the fact that she was late, she was pretty tense.
"Asshole!" she yelled at the red taillights as it turned out of the parking lot. Bailey then stomped into the lobby of the hotel, her hand gripping the thin black strap of her purse that matched her choppy, v-necked cocktail dress. Stopping in the center of the marble floor, her eyes scanned the surprisingly dead lobby. It was nearly silent as she observed the vacancy. Slowly beginning to think that she was in the wrong place, her pulse began to quicken as she approached the front desk.
"Um, where is the ballroom?" she asked, forcing a smile on her worried face. Her fake smile instantly faded as the elderly woman looked back at her in confusion for a moment.
"Over there." she pointed to a big set of doors off to the right. Nodding a 'thank you', Bailey's heels clicked on the marble as she approached the doors.
Shoving the heavy bar forward and pushing the door forward, darkness took over her. Hiding a smile and anticipating a big 'surprise'; nothing happened. Stepping in and clicking on the lights, a bare, empty hall filled her eyes. Exhaling, she clicked the lights off and turned around as her eyes began to water. She had no idea where she was supposed to go. First, she arrived late. Second, there apparently was 'no such thing' as a 'Tab Drive', and then one logical place she thought she was supposed to be at was vacant. She was not a happy camper.
Letting the ballroom doors slam behind her, Bailey then turned the heads of the few people in the lobby as her heels slapped towards the exit.
"Hey, hey. Slow down there." Bobby appeared in front of her, putting his hands out and resting them on her shoulders.
"I'm not in the fucking mood, Bobby." she snarled, completely forgetting that she hadn't seen him in weeks, and forgetting to even question why he was there in the first place.
"Tab Drive? -Go out the front doors, make a left, and there you go." he stated simply, watching the unpleasant look on her face fade to a soft, hopeful one. He couldn't help but smile back at her.
"How did you -" she began in disbelief, slowly beginning to catch on. Bobby then chuckled and waved her off.
- - - - -
"It's like déjà vu." a soft, feminine voice caused Joe to jump up from the log he was sitting on and turn around.
Staring over at Bailey who had her hands clasped together upfront of her, he lost his breath. Warmth took over his body as her shiny smile beamed over at him from a couple yards away. Bailey looked absolutely stunning; her long flowy hair, dark layered dress, strappy heels. Her soft stare was locked onto his. He could tell she was liking what she was seeing as well. Trapped in his warm, chocolate eyes, Bailey was able to pry her eyes away only for a moment. Beginning to observe his straight, dark and chunky locks that she loved, she began to feel the strap of her purse slide off her shoulder. Captivated by his presence, hint of sexual tension and confidence, she couldn't move. It was when Joe took a few steps towards her in the dimly lit opening in the center of the trees, that were too limited to call a 'forest', that her breath stopped in her lungs. Too wrapped up in the boy in front of her, she hadn't noticed what else was around her.
There were a few battery operated candles scattered around the dirt circle, that was about 8 feet in diameter, to prevent an accidental fire. Off on a large rock was a box of pizza and a few bottles of root beer; her favorite. There was a thin blanket slung over a fallen log and a little boom box set up off towards the side. It somewhat reminded her of what she did for his 18th birthday the previous year. Except the trees opened up to a little creek instead of a pond. This boy sure knew how to work things.
"Hey." Joe finally breathed out, his body stopping only inches in front of hers. He could tell that her heart was racing a mile a minute, her blue eyes glistening into his.
"Hi." she barley replied before her lips formed into a bigger smile that she didn't think was possible. Bailey then let herself forward, her arms wrapping around the back of his neck as his folded around her waist. Holding her tight, Joe lifted her a bit and swung her around, his eyes slowly closing as he inhaled her comforting perfume.
"Happy Birthday." his lips tickled her neck, his deep voice vibrating on her skin. Grinning into his shoulder, she whispered a small 'thanks' before taking another whiff of his captivating cologne and slowly pulling away. Everything felt absolutely perfect. "Oh! I have food." he grinned, grabbing her hand and leading her over to the log but the pizza box.
Dinner, if you'd like to call it, was enjoyable for the two lovers. Through more than a dozen laughs, offensive, but lovable insults and even a few sauce stains on their black attire, Bailey was loving every second of it. Not once had she ever expected something like that and not ever had things felt so right between them. The setting was romantic, the air was cool, Joe's arm around her housed her warmth. After a few oops', 'shits' and spills, the night wouldn't qualify as "storybook perfect", but it was pretty damn close.
"You know. . ." Joe began, his butt now in the dirt as his back leaned against the log. Now that they were finished eating, his arm rested around Bailey as her head leaned into his shoulder. "We're getting married." he smiled at her laugh from his blunt statement. "I'm serious girl. You're stuck with me."
"Likewise, boy." she chuckled, her fingers playing with his that were rested on his chest. "-And then we'll have a picket fence and a rose garden, right?" she asked, her smirk glowing up at him as he squeezed her side.
"Not funny." he chuckled.
"Oh, come on." Bailey laughed, then stopped abruptly. "Uh-oh." she breathed out. "We can't get married!"
"What? Why not?" Joe questioned, his eyes coming together in confusion.
"Because, I'm not your dream girl!"
"Bails, what are you talking about?" he sighed in disbelief, curious as to what she was going to say next.
"I'm not from Australia. This'll never work out." she groaned, pushing off of his chest and sitting up with her back slouched forward. Her heard was turned to it's side as her chin rested on her own shoulder while his hand made its way to the small of her back.
"Shut up." Joe finally laughed at the straight face she kept. It was only a few more seconds before she cracked into laugher herself. "-And stop with that song thing, it's stupid."
"You know you love it." she stated, her eyes smiling back at him.
"I know I love you." he responded, leaning forward himself and resting his chin on her shoulder where hers just was.
"I know you're crazy." she nodded, chuckling from his breath that was tingling on her neck. "Joe. .." she breathed out, already knowing where this was going to go, feeling his lips on her skin. She felt them sponge her for a moment before her heart began to pound inside of her chest. A strand of his hair then shifted from the angle he was on, grazing her ear and sending goosebumps throughout the rest of her body. This was what she loved. He knew exactly how to get to her.
His fingers curled around her waist from behind as his lips continued to trail along her neck.
"Maybe we should, uh. . ." Bailey breathed out, her eyes closing beyond her control.
"Get back to the hotel?" he asked softly, stealing the words from her mind and reluctantly pulling away from her body. She hummed a small 'mhm' as he grasped onto her hand and helped her up off the ground before interlacing his fingers with hers. Leading her away from the opening and back down 'Tab Drive', Bailey stopped, her heart still racing in her throat.
"What about the stuff set up back there?" she asked, her eyebrows coming together in concern.
"Why do you think Bobby was here?" Joe smirked.
- - - - -
"Give me that." Bailey muttered, slapping Joe's hand and snatching the card key from his shaky grasp.
Bumping his side and shifting him out of the way of the hotel door, she slid the card in the slot. Before it beeped, alerting them that it was unlocked, Joe's hands gripped her from behind. Shoving the door open, Joe put more pressure on her backside and lead her in. Bailey then departed from his touch as he shut and locked the door; handle and chain.
"Joe. . ." Bailey began, standing in the center of the room as he stepped towards her. Her heels were already off and kicked to the side as Joe's feet began kicking his own shoes off. "This is like. . ."
"-It." he inhaled slowly, his heart fluttering inside of him like never before. "I know."
"But -" she began softly.
"No buts. Not this time." he breathed out. "I'm done doing what's best; what's right." Joe paused, gathering all his thoughts and emotions that had bottled up inside of him since the last time things almost went too far. "Bails, I love you so much, and I know you feel the same. There's no denying this." his gaze over at her was strong, noticing the extra wetness that had formed in her eyes. He knew the only reason why she had rejected him all the times before; it was because of that ring on his finger. What she couldn't get through her hard head was that the ring had became hers a long time ago.
Watching her step forward to him, he didn't blink. It wasn't until she was a foot away from him when his hands shot up to her cheeks and his body leaned forward the rest of the way, his eyes closing as their lips met once again.
Breaking through that barrier, Bailey's eyes fluttered closed, her hands coming up and gripping the collar to his blazer that was about to leave his body. With one hard tug, he got the hint and moved his hand down and yanked it off by the cuffs. Her hand then fiddled with his tie as she took tiny steps backwards, their lips smacking every few seconds. Frustrated with the fact that she couldn't see what she was doing, she broke away from his moist lips and yanked the loop of the material. Sliding the silk out from the little knot, she then pulled it off and began to unbutton his shirt. His eyes were lowered, staring into her eyes that were locked onto the buttons; she was in complete concentration. He couldn't control the smirk that came upon his lips.
Down to the last button, her eyes finally shifted up at his, realizing he'd been staring at her the whole time. A light shade of pink accompanied her cheeks for a moment as he shook off his shirt. Seeing the lust in her eyes as she glanced down at his tanned, toned chest, his smirk faded away as his lips met hers again, keeping the momentum going.
Bailey's hands rested on his shoulders, somewhat along his neck as the straps to her dress began to slide off her own shoulders. It wasn't for a moment and a slight breeze from behind that she realized that Joe's fingers had found their way to the tiny zipper on the back of her dress. Smirking inro the kiss as their tongues wrestled, her hands stayed put as she felt him tug the zipper every few seconds, slowing down the process.
Once the zipper rested on her lower back, right above her backside, she felt his fingertips trail up the soft skin he had just revealed and to the back of her neck, his lips pressing a little harder into hers. It was now her turn to take it the rest of the way.
Instead of letting the top half of her dress to fall, her fingers lowered and began fiddling with his pants. Unbuttoning them quite easily and listening to the little zip, she felt the smile on his lips, knowing that he wanted to laugh at the distinct sound. It was then when her black material inched down her skin, her chest exposing itself just a little bit.
When Joe's pants fell to the floor, Bailey turned him around, somewhat backing him up to the bed. When the back of his knees hit, he collapsed, breaking the kiss. He then began to watch her. The purity in her eyes as she locked onto him, his body began to sweat. In the dimness of the room, her shadow cascaded off the wall behind her, making her skin appear to be a bit tanner than what it truly was.
The straps from her dress slid further down, almost past her elbows; gravity ended up pulling it down the rest of the way. Her shyness quickly slipped away once she saw the flame in his eyes; the look of pure love, and maybe even a hint of lust. This was it. Her dress was at her feet and her tiny, black Victoria Secret panties were clearly in view, along with the rest of her bare body. Confidently stepping towards him, she made her way onto his lap, her legs straddling his waist as she draped her arms around his neck.
She felt the sweat on his skin, even the thumping of his heart as his lips began pecking at hers. The sponging was slow at first. It started at her lips, then slowly down her jaw line, down her neck, and to her collarbone. In the heat of the room, those familiar goosebumps formed once again.
It was truly happening.
Within moments, the massage bench was set up, the young girl had a nail kit open and ready to go, and Kathy was already unwrapping her hairdryer and plugging in her hair rollers.
"Ready to get to work?" Kathy grinned over at Bailey's expressionless face. "Oh, c'mon sweetie. This is nothing new. -Oh, Bails, this is Sue Yung, she's going to help get rid of all that tension inside of you, along with that ugly face you're giving me right now. And then this is my daughter Sami, she'll help make those things you call nails all pretty and prepped up." she finished with as much enthusiasm as she had started with. A little taken a back by everything being shot at her all at once, Bailey just stood there, eyeing the three females.
"You famous mow. You stressful. I help relieve." Sue nodded in Bailey's direction, then waved for her to lay on the bench before her. After a moment, she finally came to her senses. Bailey gave up on the mental battle she was losing herself to and approached the cushioned bench. Lifting a leg over and then pulling her body onto the purple material, Bailey peeked her head over the edge and rested her face in the circular piece. Within a few seconds, she felt Sue's hands on her shoulders, then her thumbs digging into her flesh. "Wow. You ver tense." all Bailey responded with was a simple groan as her eyes slowly began to close. "I fix."
"So, um. . ." she listened as Kathy tried to think of a conversation starter. "I brought Sami with me; she's a big fan!"
"Hey Sami." Bailey's voice was pointed downward through the headpiece of the massage table, her hand coming up to her side as she gave a little half-assed wave.
"Hi." she heard Sami reply before listening as a few nail polish bottles clinked together.
"Speaking of fans, how's your number one?" Kathy began, smiling as she brushed the back of her hand on the hair roller case to feel the heat.
"What, my mom?" Bailey questioned.
"No, no." Kathy laughed. "Joe." a tiny smile appeared on her lips as she waited the young lover's response.
"Ugh." was all she responded with, obviously not wanting to talk about him. "This feels really good." Bailey muttered, her eyes still shut as Sue continued massaging her back.
"So, does he have anything planned for tonight?" Sami questioned, causing both Sue and Kathy to glare over at her as if she had said something scared. "I-I mean, so, what are you doing tonight? For the big eighteen." she covered up.
"I have no frikkin' idea." Bailey blurted out. "-But Joe's really pissing me off."
"Oh?" Kathy questioned, even though at this point she knew everything that was going on. She expected Bailey to be a little moody and house a sour attitude, but she didn't expect this little 'plan' to get to her that much.
"It's been over a week and I've been missing him like crazy. Then, we get here and he just dumps me here with you guys, -no offense, and to be honest, all I want to do is just spend time with him wearing a pair of sweats, hair a mess, with a box of pizza in a hotel room or something. Nothing fancy."
"You hush now. Enjoy massage. Stop the whine." Sue ordered. "We prep for good night. No worry." Bailey smiled to the floor at her broken English and finally began to relax a little.
"But still. . ." she continued, her mind cranking as she thought things over once again. Taking a deep breath, she interrupted the massage and rolled over, her hand digging in the pocket of her jeans for her cell phone. "I'm calling him. I can't go without talking to him." she stated, her eyes focused down on her phone as the other three exchanged worried glances.
- - - - -
"Don't answer it." Bobby ordered as Joe pulled out his vibrating cell phone. Glancing up at the dark, spiky haired boy from across the table in a small café in Miami, he reluctantly obeyed and placed his phone on the table as Bailey's named blinked across the screen.
"You know, I'm beginning to have second thoughts about this crap." Joe spat once the phone seized all movement. All he wanted to do was see and talk to Bailey, but for the entire afternoon he was kept from doing so.
"You know, so am I." Bobby stated before Joe nodded, somewhat glad that he seemed to agree. "You're so stubborn, it's unreal. -You're just like her, you know."
"Hey!" Joe exclaimed, obviously not expecting him to take that route.
"When you asked for a favor, you said to do whatever I needed to get things to work. This little emo bullshit is keeping me from going that."
"Oh my God, you're so gay." Joe huffed in defeat, knowing that his 'queer eye' for this 'romantic' plan was going to turn out perfect, even if he had to do everything he was told.
"I know this?" Bobby questioned in confusion with an unsure chuckle. He had 'come out' only weeks after the 'Traffic Jam' premiere, breaking thousands of little girls' hearts across the US. Joe knew he was
"Well, I hate to admit it, and I don't mean to offend you. . .but, you sound like a chick, dude." Joe made a weird face after listening to his own comment.
"Yeah, well. . .shuttup, and c'mon. We've got to get going. We don't want to be running late." Bobby stated, picking up his coffee cup and his scrunched up napkin as Joe kicked out his steel chair.
- - - - -
"I feel so relaxed, it's unbelievable." Bailey sighed back into the cushioned armchair. Her hands relaxed on the arm rests as Sami applied a 2nd coat of an aqua blue to her toenails. Bringing her wet fingers to her lips, Bailey softly blew on them to quicken the drying process as Kathy primped her hair from behind.
"I thought you didn't really care for the 'curly' look?" Kathy questioned as she carefully took a large, warm roller out of Bailey's dark blonde hair.
"I don't, really. . .but Joe likes it." she replied simply, shrugging her shoulders.
"Aw." she smiled in return as a squeak echoed in the room.
"Ew, there be mice?" Sue exclaimed, utter confusion and disgust taking over her face as she looked up from the magazine she was flipping through.
"No, no." Bailey laughed from her chair. "It was my phone. New text." she nodded towards her phone that was on the end table a yard or two away from her as Sami screwed the brush back into the nail polish bottle. Not expecting Kathy to retrieve it, Bailey felt a little bad. She was beginning to feel like a Pre-Madonna, but it wasn't her fault. They insisted on making every little move for her. After flipping her cell open with her palm, her eyes scrunched in confusion. "Weird. . .it's from a restricted number." she muttered, then read the text out loud.
"go look in the bathroom.
-Private"
"Looks like you have a little stalker." Sami commented, flicking her eyebrows up and down flirtatiously before her expression changed to a startled one. "Oh my God, maybe they're watching us now." she stated quickly, then turning to the windows that were covered with a cream colored curtain.
"Uh-huh, sure. Because now people have special glasses that can see through rough, cotton/polyester crap." Bailey rolled her eyes with a chuckle as she texted back with a simple 'WTF'. Within moments, there was a response. One that made her burst out into laughter.
"asdfjkl; juSt g0 Lo0k iN thA baFfro0m!
-Private"
"Wow. You think that would've taken a little bit of time to key in." Sami laughed, obviously down with the ridiculous IM language. Instantly agreeing, Bailey then stood from the chair and stomped on her heels to the bathroom, careful not to mess up her freshly painted toes. Laying on the porcelain toilet seat was a silver envelope and a peach colored rose on top. Grabbing the two and thumping back into the open room, she held up the two items.
"How romantic." Sami cooed with a cheesy grin.
"Yeah. . .a fancy envelope and a rose. . .on a toilet seat." Bailey laughed, shaking her head and knowing who had to have put it there.
"What's it say?" Kathy questioned with a smirk, obviously in on the whole thing.
"I don't know. I can't open it." Bailey laughed, handing the envelope to Sami because of her wet fingernails.
"Ok, ok. Ahem." Sami began, holding the little card up in front of her. "You are cordially, -which is spelled wrong, by the way. - invited to have the best night of your life. Your attendance is required in the ballroom of the Hilton. 532 Tab Drive, Miami, Florida." she looked up from the text and grinned.
"Let me see!" Bailey beamed, hurrying over and retrieving the card from her. Her smile grew even more when she noticed Joe's handwriting on the sparkly paper. "-At 6 o'clock?!" she began to panic.
"Calm down and take a breather." Kathy chuckled. "You've got pretty much everything done anyway. You just have to get dressed in that little dress Sami picked out, do a little bit of make-up, strap on those heels and get going. Then, the hall is like 5 minutes down the road."
"Ballroom." Bailey corrected, the word sticking out in her mind as she picture what the set-up could possibly look like.
"Alright. One hour. We can do this!" Kathy exclaimed, then received a stern nod from Bailey who threw herself back down into the chair.
"Make me beautiful, baby."
- - - - -
"She's not going to find this place." Bobby put his hands on his hips as Joe stabbed a large post into the ground off beside the Hilton. The soil was a bit moist, sliding the 'Tab Drive' sign into it. Yanking it straight a few times, then taking a step back and analyzing it's position, Joe nodded in satisfaction. "God, you're so weird."
"Just shut up, Bobby." he snapped, glaring over at him, then flicking out his wrist and looking down at his obnoxious gold watch.
"Jeeze, spazz." Bobby huffed, crossing his arms across his chest and narrowing his eyes over at his planning partner. This was the only idea Joe really had control over, and Bobby was convinced that it was totally stupid. The only reason he gave in and let him do the ridiculous 'Tab Drive' thing was because he claimed it had a 'deep meaning' and that it'd really mean a lot to Bailey. He begged to differ, but went with it anyway.
"I'm just. . .nerve wrecked. Five minutes and it's 6pm. This needs to be perfect." he stated.
"Joseph, -" he began, stepping forward and reaching out for his tie. Straightening it out and brushing off the shoulders of his black blazer, Bobby was beginning to feel like a 'mother' releasing 'her' son to his first prom. Once that thought entered his mind, Joe shook his hands away and tugged his blazer out himself. "- you really love her, don't you? I've never seen you so nervous." he chuckled.
"More than ever." Joe breathed out, his heart picking up the pace a bit.
"Now, I'm going to go wait in the lobby for your girl so she won't get lost." Bobby stated, backing up towards the front of the Hilton.
"She won't get lost." Joe chuckled, rolling his eyes as his anticipation for her arrival grew with every second. His mind even began to drift to what she was wearing."Twenty says she won't know where to go." Bobby challenged boldly.
"You're on." he accepted the little bet, then shook his hand firmly before watching him head to the front of the hotel. Shoving his hands into the pockets of his dark, tight pants in nervousness, Joe then turned around and started down the dirt path of the unofficial 'Tab Drive'.
- - - - -
"Like I said, Miss. There's no such thing as a 'Tab Drive.'" the moody driver eyed her in the rearview mirror. "- but this is the only Hilton in the area." he sighed. Biting her lip in frustration, Bailey fought off the tears of emotion before stomping out of the limo and slamming the door. The stress that Sue Yung had rubbed out of her had returned once she rushed out of her own hotel ten after six, With her leaving the hotel late and the driver got lost as well, that made her an extra eleven minutes late. Whatever was planned for her, she hoped to God she didn't mess up.
With the screech of tires, the limo sped off, obviously equally fed up with Bailey herself. Arguing with the driver over a street that 'didn't exist' kind of put her in a sour mood, added onto the fact that she was late, she was pretty tense.
"Asshole!" she yelled at the red taillights as it turned out of the parking lot. Bailey then stomped into the lobby of the hotel, her hand gripping the thin black strap of her purse that matched her choppy, v-necked cocktail dress. Stopping in the center of the marble floor, her eyes scanned the surprisingly dead lobby. It was nearly silent as she observed the vacancy. Slowly beginning to think that she was in the wrong place, her pulse began to quicken as she approached the front desk.
"Um, where is the ballroom?" she asked, forcing a smile on her worried face. Her fake smile instantly faded as the elderly woman looked back at her in confusion for a moment.
"Over there." she pointed to a big set of doors off to the right. Nodding a 'thank you', Bailey's heels clicked on the marble as she approached the doors.
Shoving the heavy bar forward and pushing the door forward, darkness took over her. Hiding a smile and anticipating a big 'surprise'; nothing happened. Stepping in and clicking on the lights, a bare, empty hall filled her eyes. Exhaling, she clicked the lights off and turned around as her eyes began to water. She had no idea where she was supposed to go. First, she arrived late. Second, there apparently was 'no such thing' as a 'Tab Drive', and then one logical place she thought she was supposed to be at was vacant. She was not a happy camper.
Letting the ballroom doors slam behind her, Bailey then turned the heads of the few people in the lobby as her heels slapped towards the exit.
"Hey, hey. Slow down there." Bobby appeared in front of her, putting his hands out and resting them on her shoulders.
"I'm not in the fucking mood, Bobby." she snarled, completely forgetting that she hadn't seen him in weeks, and forgetting to even question why he was there in the first place.
"Tab Drive? -Go out the front doors, make a left, and there you go." he stated simply, watching the unpleasant look on her face fade to a soft, hopeful one. He couldn't help but smile back at her.
"How did you -" she began in disbelief, slowly beginning to catch on. Bobby then chuckled and waved her off.
- - - - -
"It's like déjà vu." a soft, feminine voice caused Joe to jump up from the log he was sitting on and turn around.
Staring over at Bailey who had her hands clasped together upfront of her, he lost his breath. Warmth took over his body as her shiny smile beamed over at him from a couple yards away. Bailey looked absolutely stunning; her long flowy hair, dark layered dress, strappy heels. Her soft stare was locked onto his. He could tell she was liking what she was seeing as well. Trapped in his warm, chocolate eyes, Bailey was able to pry her eyes away only for a moment. Beginning to observe his straight, dark and chunky locks that she loved, she began to feel the strap of her purse slide off her shoulder. Captivated by his presence, hint of sexual tension and confidence, she couldn't move. It was when Joe took a few steps towards her in the dimly lit opening in the center of the trees, that were too limited to call a 'forest', that her breath stopped in her lungs. Too wrapped up in the boy in front of her, she hadn't noticed what else was around her.
There were a few battery operated candles scattered around the dirt circle, that was about 8 feet in diameter, to prevent an accidental fire. Off on a large rock was a box of pizza and a few bottles of root beer; her favorite. There was a thin blanket slung over a fallen log and a little boom box set up off towards the side. It somewhat reminded her of what she did for his 18th birthday the previous year. Except the trees opened up to a little creek instead of a pond. This boy sure knew how to work things.
"Hey." Joe finally breathed out, his body stopping only inches in front of hers. He could tell that her heart was racing a mile a minute, her blue eyes glistening into his.
"Hi." she barley replied before her lips formed into a bigger smile that she didn't think was possible. Bailey then let herself forward, her arms wrapping around the back of his neck as his folded around her waist. Holding her tight, Joe lifted her a bit and swung her around, his eyes slowly closing as he inhaled her comforting perfume.
"Happy Birthday." his lips tickled her neck, his deep voice vibrating on her skin. Grinning into his shoulder, she whispered a small 'thanks' before taking another whiff of his captivating cologne and slowly pulling away. Everything felt absolutely perfect. "Oh! I have food." he grinned, grabbing her hand and leading her over to the log but the pizza box.
Dinner, if you'd like to call it, was enjoyable for the two lovers. Through more than a dozen laughs, offensive, but lovable insults and even a few sauce stains on their black attire, Bailey was loving every second of it. Not once had she ever expected something like that and not ever had things felt so right between them. The setting was romantic, the air was cool, Joe's arm around her housed her warmth. After a few oops', 'shits' and spills, the night wouldn't qualify as "storybook perfect", but it was pretty damn close.
"You know. . ." Joe began, his butt now in the dirt as his back leaned against the log. Now that they were finished eating, his arm rested around Bailey as her head leaned into his shoulder. "We're getting married." he smiled at her laugh from his blunt statement. "I'm serious girl. You're stuck with me."
"Likewise, boy." she chuckled, her fingers playing with his that were rested on his chest. "-And then we'll have a picket fence and a rose garden, right?" she asked, her smirk glowing up at him as he squeezed her side.
"Not funny." he chuckled.
"Oh, come on." Bailey laughed, then stopped abruptly. "Uh-oh." she breathed out. "We can't get married!"
"What? Why not?" Joe questioned, his eyes coming together in confusion.
"Because, I'm not your dream girl!"
"Bails, what are you talking about?" he sighed in disbelief, curious as to what she was going to say next.
"I'm not from Australia. This'll never work out." she groaned, pushing off of his chest and sitting up with her back slouched forward. Her heard was turned to it's side as her chin rested on her own shoulder while his hand made its way to the small of her back.
"Shut up." Joe finally laughed at the straight face she kept. It was only a few more seconds before she cracked into laugher herself. "-And stop with that song thing, it's stupid."
"You know you love it." she stated, her eyes smiling back at him.
"I know I love you." he responded, leaning forward himself and resting his chin on her shoulder where hers just was.
"I know you're crazy." she nodded, chuckling from his breath that was tingling on her neck. "Joe. .." she breathed out, already knowing where this was going to go, feeling his lips on her skin. She felt them sponge her for a moment before her heart began to pound inside of her chest. A strand of his hair then shifted from the angle he was on, grazing her ear and sending goosebumps throughout the rest of her body. This was what she loved. He knew exactly how to get to her.
His fingers curled around her waist from behind as his lips continued to trail along her neck.
"Maybe we should, uh. . ." Bailey breathed out, her eyes closing beyond her control.
"Get back to the hotel?" he asked softly, stealing the words from her mind and reluctantly pulling away from her body. She hummed a small 'mhm' as he grasped onto her hand and helped her up off the ground before interlacing his fingers with hers. Leading her away from the opening and back down 'Tab Drive', Bailey stopped, her heart still racing in her throat.
"What about the stuff set up back there?" she asked, her eyebrows coming together in concern.
"Why do you think Bobby was here?" Joe smirked.
- - - - -
"Give me that." Bailey muttered, slapping Joe's hand and snatching the card key from his shaky grasp.
Bumping his side and shifting him out of the way of the hotel door, she slid the card in the slot. Before it beeped, alerting them that it was unlocked, Joe's hands gripped her from behind. Shoving the door open, Joe put more pressure on her backside and lead her in. Bailey then departed from his touch as he shut and locked the door; handle and chain.
"Joe. . ." Bailey began, standing in the center of the room as he stepped towards her. Her heels were already off and kicked to the side as Joe's feet began kicking his own shoes off. "This is like. . ."
"-It." he inhaled slowly, his heart fluttering inside of him like never before. "I know."
"But -" she began softly.
"No buts. Not this time." he breathed out. "I'm done doing what's best; what's right." Joe paused, gathering all his thoughts and emotions that had bottled up inside of him since the last time things almost went too far. "Bails, I love you so much, and I know you feel the same. There's no denying this." his gaze over at her was strong, noticing the extra wetness that had formed in her eyes. He knew the only reason why she had rejected him all the times before; it was because of that ring on his finger. What she couldn't get through her hard head was that the ring had became hers a long time ago.
Watching her step forward to him, he didn't blink. It wasn't until she was a foot away from him when his hands shot up to her cheeks and his body leaned forward the rest of the way, his eyes closing as their lips met once again.
Breaking through that barrier, Bailey's eyes fluttered closed, her hands coming up and gripping the collar to his blazer that was about to leave his body. With one hard tug, he got the hint and moved his hand down and yanked it off by the cuffs. Her hand then fiddled with his tie as she took tiny steps backwards, their lips smacking every few seconds. Frustrated with the fact that she couldn't see what she was doing, she broke away from his moist lips and yanked the loop of the material. Sliding the silk out from the little knot, she then pulled it off and began to unbutton his shirt. His eyes were lowered, staring into her eyes that were locked onto the buttons; she was in complete concentration. He couldn't control the smirk that came upon his lips.
Down to the last button, her eyes finally shifted up at his, realizing he'd been staring at her the whole time. A light shade of pink accompanied her cheeks for a moment as he shook off his shirt. Seeing the lust in her eyes as she glanced down at his tanned, toned chest, his smirk faded away as his lips met hers again, keeping the momentum going.
Bailey's hands rested on his shoulders, somewhat along his neck as the straps to her dress began to slide off her own shoulders. It wasn't for a moment and a slight breeze from behind that she realized that Joe's fingers had found their way to the tiny zipper on the back of her dress. Smirking inro the kiss as their tongues wrestled, her hands stayed put as she felt him tug the zipper every few seconds, slowing down the process.
Once the zipper rested on her lower back, right above her backside, she felt his fingertips trail up the soft skin he had just revealed and to the back of her neck, his lips pressing a little harder into hers. It was now her turn to take it the rest of the way.
Instead of letting the top half of her dress to fall, her fingers lowered and began fiddling with his pants. Unbuttoning them quite easily and listening to the little zip, she felt the smile on his lips, knowing that he wanted to laugh at the distinct sound. It was then when her black material inched down her skin, her chest exposing itself just a little bit.
When Joe's pants fell to the floor, Bailey turned him around, somewhat backing him up to the bed. When the back of his knees hit, he collapsed, breaking the kiss. He then began to watch her. The purity in her eyes as she locked onto him, his body began to sweat. In the dimness of the room, her shadow cascaded off the wall behind her, making her skin appear to be a bit tanner than what it truly was.
The straps from her dress slid further down, almost past her elbows; gravity ended up pulling it down the rest of the way. Her shyness quickly slipped away once she saw the flame in his eyes; the look of pure love, and maybe even a hint of lust. This was it. Her dress was at her feet and her tiny, black Victoria Secret panties were clearly in view, along with the rest of her bare body. Confidently stepping towards him, she made her way onto his lap, her legs straddling his waist as she draped her arms around his neck.
She felt the sweat on his skin, even the thumping of his heart as his lips began pecking at hers. The sponging was slow at first. It started at her lips, then slowly down her jaw line, down her neck, and to her collarbone. In the heat of the room, those familiar goosebumps formed once again.
It was truly happening.
BBB
"Mom, you have to let me go!" Bailey stated, her hands rested on her hips as she looked over at her mother who was leaning against the kitchen counter with her coffee mug in hand. "If you don't drive me to the airport, I'll just call dad and get him to take me."
"It's not about taking you. . ." her mother began, her eyes warm as she looked over at her only daughter. "It's just. . .a week with you home just wasn't long enough." Bailey smiled at the sincerity in her voice. After all the time she spent across the country in LA, it felt good to know that she was truly missed, and not only by her adopted family, the Jonas'; figuratively speaking, of course.
"Mom, -" she chuckled, "-But it's my birthday, and I really want to go! I'll come and spend some time at home after this, I promise. Just please agree to have me go for the next few days. -I tried to be nice and ask, since technically I'm an adult now and could've left on my own already." Bailey watched as her mother's eyes tears up, her lips forming into a tiny smile. "Oh no, don't! -Dad just put me through this whole scene, I don't want -"
"I just can't believe my baby is all grown up now." she whimpered.
"Mom!"
"-The big 18. I can't believe it." her mother sighed, shaking her head as she took in her daughter's beautiful appearance. Her straight, dark-blonde locks hung down a little above her elbows, the layers flowing gorgeously as a few strands from her long bangs laid across her forehead. Her make-up was done to the minimum, making her stunning blue eyes pop while she stood with great posture.
"Yeah, well, I won't be able to believe it if I miss my flight to Florida." Bailey stated, just wanting to leave. It had been a week since she flew home from Los Angeles, leaving the Jonas' and Bobby behind to visit her own family.
"I still don't like this idea, Bails." her mother stated, straightening up and transforming out of her sappy mode.
"What idea?" Bailey asked in confusion.
"Oh, don't act like you don't know what I'm thinking." she stated sternly. "You, Joseph, in Miami, alone." Her mother emphasized the past part, causing Bailey to cackle back in laughter.
"Mother, please." she waved her off. "The whole crew will be down there as well."
"If that's the case, then why in the hell wasn't I invited?" she snapped, only half joking, making her daughter laugh again.
"Seriously mom, it'll be fine." Bailey reassured her, stepping away from the counter she was leaning against and slipped her hands into the back pockets of her snug jeans. "It's not like we're going to do anything."
"Yeah, sure." she eyed her suspiciously. "Promise me you wouldn't do anything that would make me frequently curse at you after getting a phone call from, oh, let's say, the police or something."
"What the hell." she laughed, not expecting to hear those words exit her mouth.
"Or, let me just say the typical, 'Don't do anything that I wouldn't do.' -line." her mom continued, her rambling showing her that it was definitely time to go.
"Alright mom, I think you should take me to the airport now." Bailey began, stepping towards the doorway of the kitchen.
"Do you have all you bags packed?" she questioned.
"Yep." Bailey nodded, taking another step. "They're already in the car."
"Do you have your plane ticket?"
"-Already in my carry-on bag in the car."
"Do you have money, your cell phone charged, and your iPod for the flight?"
"Mom, I have everything!" she laughed at her worriedness. "Don't fret, I've taken care of it all. All that's left is my transportation to the actual airport and for some reason it keeps stalling, so can we go now?"
"You do have everything covered." her mom breathed out, setting down her coffee mug. "My baby is all grown up."
"-And your baby is going to cry if she misses her flight!" Bailey whined and stopped her foot to add a dramatic effect before her mom shooed her the rest of the way out of the kitchen. Laughing, Bailey happily walked out of the house and to her mother's car.
- - - - -
"Aw, Frankie!" Bailey cooed, walking out of the terminal with her carry-on bag hanging off her shoulder. Purposely ignoring the most gorgeous boy standing behind him, Bailey kneeled down hugged Frankie's tiny frame as other passengers off her flight from Philadelphia dispersed throughout the Miami airport.
"So, the little dude who at the last minute decides to tail along is the first to get a hug?" Joe asked in disbelief, spreading his arms out as he looked through his chunky hair at his girlfriend who straighten up and stepped towards him.
"Maybe because at a first glance he just looked cuter." Bailey joked, letting her bag slide down from her shoulder and placing it on the ground as Joe's face dropped. "I'm only kidding." she chuckled before stepping into him, wrapping her arms around his waist and giving him the biggest hug ever. Closing her eyes and getting lost in the scent she had been missing for the past week, she relaxed into his arms as his hand rubbed up and down the small of her back.
"Happy birthday." he finally stated softly, his lips moving only millimeters away from her ear. Feeling her smile into the thin material of his plain, faded gray t-shirt, he tightened his grip for another moment as he took in her warmth.
Within a few more minutes, the two pulled away from each other. Bailey grabbed her bag and then Frankie's little hand as they made their way to the baggage claim. After retrieving her suitcase, the trio exited the airport and stepped into the humid, Miami air. Luckily, they didn't have to stand in the heat for too long since a sleek, black stretch limo was waiting outside for them.
"So, where are we going?" Bailey questioned, her voice perking up as she leaned into Joe's side. His arm was draped around her shoulders as they relaxed back into the cushion of the limo seats. Frankie was on the opposite side, his thumbs clicking away on his PSP.
"Your hotel." he replied simply, not planning on going any further unless he was asked.
"I'm so excited!" she squealed, taking in the fact that she was finally back with him. "I miss Nick, Kevin and your parents! I can't wait to see them."
"That's great. -It sounds like you miss my family more than you miss your own boyfriend. That gives me this weird warm, fuzzy feeling inside." he chuckled.
"Your family is just so much different from mine. . .I was going through withdraws. -Do you know how hard it is to get my mother to laugh?" At that moment, Joe himself burst out into laughter, causing the back of Bailey's hand to come in contact with his firm chest. The sound of the hit caused Frankie to look up from his game and shake his head.
"Sorry, I thought I was supposed to laugh." Bailey turned her body to face him, giving him 'the look' with her narrow eyes. "Anyway, -" he began, pulling her back into his side. "We've got a whole lot planned for tonight."
"Like what?" Bailey grinned in anticipation. It was her 18th birthday; her big day. She could only imagine what the night was going to come to.
"Well, it's almost 2pm now. Let's see. . .we'll get you back to your hotel, you'll get all settled in and what not, then I'll take Frankie back to Mom, and -"
"Wait; I wanna go with you." she spoke up. "You don't have to drop me off, just take me with you. I wanna see everyone. Plus, it'll save a trip."
"Bails Bails Bails, you'll see everyone eventually. Everything is under control." Joe chuckled as her assertiveness.
"Huh?"
"Look, we're dropping you off at your hotel. You have a massage person coming in, one of those nail people, and then Kathy, your stylist person from 'Traffic Jam'. They're going to help you relax and prep you for tonight."
"What's happening tonight?" she questioned, becoming intrigued as a tiny smile formed on her lips. This boy was up to something, and her mind was beginning to ache thinking of what he could possibly manage to put together himself.
"That I cannot say." he responded, her voice a bit bold as if to say, 'That's all I'm telling you, and I'm not going to crack.'. It was at that moment when the limo pulled up to a simple Holiday Inn. "No, go in there and enjoy yourself. You deserve it."
"-But I wanna go see -" Bailey began, her voice pitching to a whine.
"Are you really going to make me walk you inside myself?" he sighed, pulling his arm out from around her shoulders.
"I really hope you planned to anyway." she replied, a slight and forced offended attitude in her voice.
"Right, right." Joe quickly agreed before scooting towards the door. After telling Frankie to stay put and informing the driver that he was going to be a few minutes, Joe reached for the handle and stepped out onto the concrete that was basking in the warm, June sun. Putting his hand out for Bailey to grab, an unexpected tingle surged up his arm as her fingers wrapped around his. After he lead her inside of the lobby and retrieved her room card, she turned to him with a pleading look in her face.
"Walk me to my room?" Bailey fought the smile that was begging to make an appearance, her voice soft and even sounding somewhat mischievous. Watching Joe bite his lip, contemplating on what to really do, Bailey stared up at him hopelessly. His face then softened, a tiny smile forming on his lips as he handed her the card key to the room. With a small nod, the two departed from the hotel lobby and to the elevator.
"Aren't you going to come in and check things out?" she asked, her blue eyes locking onto his as they stood outside of her room. Reading his face and realizing that he actually had to think about it, she got a little frustrated. "Stop making me have to ask! Just come in. Jeeze, you're making me feel like a skank from a cheesy movie who has to lure the dude every step of the way to -" at that moment, Joe took the card key from her loose grasp, slid it into the slot, then pushed the door open and pulled her in. Quickly and casually 'scanning' the room, Joe stole a glimpse of the red numbers on the digital clock by the bed before turning back to Bailey who was still trying to look deep inside of him. "Babe, what's wrong?" she questioned, her eyebrows coming together as she stepped in front of him. He stared back at her for a moment before closing his eyes and leaning forward, feeling a smile on her lips after the collision. He then felt her hand rest itself lightly on his forearm by her waist before pulling away. Seeing an offended expression form on her face, Joe instantly regretted ending the kiss so abruptly.
"Now, I have to go. Your people should be here any minute." he stated, hoping his pathetic worlds would treat her troubled look. "I'll be back later, ok? Enjoy yourself." he smiled weakly as her face softened a bit, her head nodding. Feeling a bit relieved that she hadn't fully spazzed on him, he leaned down and kissed her forehead before exiting the room. Hearing the hotel door click closed behind him, he quickly fumbled for his vibrating cell phone as he hurried towards the elevator. Once the door shut, he placed his phone up to his ear.
"Where are you?!" a voice exclaimed.
"I'm on my way, chill. I just got a little caught up." Joe defended himself.
"If you want this to work, you need to stay on schedule!"
"I know!" he groaned in response.
"How is she?"
"I'll be completely honest. . .she's so pissed off right now."
"She'll get over it. -Just stick to the plan. Alright?" the voice ordered.
"Alright." Joe agreed, releasing a slow, faint sigh from his lungs.
"It's not about taking you. . ." her mother began, her eyes warm as she looked over at her only daughter. "It's just. . .a week with you home just wasn't long enough." Bailey smiled at the sincerity in her voice. After all the time she spent across the country in LA, it felt good to know that she was truly missed, and not only by her adopted family, the Jonas'; figuratively speaking, of course.
"Mom, -" she chuckled, "-But it's my birthday, and I really want to go! I'll come and spend some time at home after this, I promise. Just please agree to have me go for the next few days. -I tried to be nice and ask, since technically I'm an adult now and could've left on my own already." Bailey watched as her mother's eyes tears up, her lips forming into a tiny smile. "Oh no, don't! -Dad just put me through this whole scene, I don't want -"
"I just can't believe my baby is all grown up now." she whimpered.
"Mom!"
"-The big 18. I can't believe it." her mother sighed, shaking her head as she took in her daughter's beautiful appearance. Her straight, dark-blonde locks hung down a little above her elbows, the layers flowing gorgeously as a few strands from her long bangs laid across her forehead. Her make-up was done to the minimum, making her stunning blue eyes pop while she stood with great posture.
"Yeah, well, I won't be able to believe it if I miss my flight to Florida." Bailey stated, just wanting to leave. It had been a week since she flew home from Los Angeles, leaving the Jonas' and Bobby behind to visit her own family.
"I still don't like this idea, Bails." her mother stated, straightening up and transforming out of her sappy mode.
"What idea?" Bailey asked in confusion.
"Oh, don't act like you don't know what I'm thinking." she stated sternly. "You, Joseph, in Miami, alone." Her mother emphasized the past part, causing Bailey to cackle back in laughter.
"Mother, please." she waved her off. "The whole crew will be down there as well."
"If that's the case, then why in the hell wasn't I invited?" she snapped, only half joking, making her daughter laugh again.
"Seriously mom, it'll be fine." Bailey reassured her, stepping away from the counter she was leaning against and slipped her hands into the back pockets of her snug jeans. "It's not like we're going to do anything."
"Yeah, sure." she eyed her suspiciously. "Promise me you wouldn't do anything that would make me frequently curse at you after getting a phone call from, oh, let's say, the police or something."
"What the hell." she laughed, not expecting to hear those words exit her mouth.
"Or, let me just say the typical, 'Don't do anything that I wouldn't do.' -line." her mom continued, her rambling showing her that it was definitely time to go.
"Alright mom, I think you should take me to the airport now." Bailey began, stepping towards the doorway of the kitchen.
"Do you have all you bags packed?" she questioned.
"Yep." Bailey nodded, taking another step. "They're already in the car."
"Do you have your plane ticket?"
"-Already in my carry-on bag in the car."
"Do you have money, your cell phone charged, and your iPod for the flight?"
"Mom, I have everything!" she laughed at her worriedness. "Don't fret, I've taken care of it all. All that's left is my transportation to the actual airport and for some reason it keeps stalling, so can we go now?"
"You do have everything covered." her mom breathed out, setting down her coffee mug. "My baby is all grown up."
"-And your baby is going to cry if she misses her flight!" Bailey whined and stopped her foot to add a dramatic effect before her mom shooed her the rest of the way out of the kitchen. Laughing, Bailey happily walked out of the house and to her mother's car.
- - - - -
"Aw, Frankie!" Bailey cooed, walking out of the terminal with her carry-on bag hanging off her shoulder. Purposely ignoring the most gorgeous boy standing behind him, Bailey kneeled down hugged Frankie's tiny frame as other passengers off her flight from Philadelphia dispersed throughout the Miami airport.
"So, the little dude who at the last minute decides to tail along is the first to get a hug?" Joe asked in disbelief, spreading his arms out as he looked through his chunky hair at his girlfriend who straighten up and stepped towards him.
"Maybe because at a first glance he just looked cuter." Bailey joked, letting her bag slide down from her shoulder and placing it on the ground as Joe's face dropped. "I'm only kidding." she chuckled before stepping into him, wrapping her arms around his waist and giving him the biggest hug ever. Closing her eyes and getting lost in the scent she had been missing for the past week, she relaxed into his arms as his hand rubbed up and down the small of her back.
"Happy birthday." he finally stated softly, his lips moving only millimeters away from her ear. Feeling her smile into the thin material of his plain, faded gray t-shirt, he tightened his grip for another moment as he took in her warmth.
Within a few more minutes, the two pulled away from each other. Bailey grabbed her bag and then Frankie's little hand as they made their way to the baggage claim. After retrieving her suitcase, the trio exited the airport and stepped into the humid, Miami air. Luckily, they didn't have to stand in the heat for too long since a sleek, black stretch limo was waiting outside for them.
"So, where are we going?" Bailey questioned, her voice perking up as she leaned into Joe's side. His arm was draped around her shoulders as they relaxed back into the cushion of the limo seats. Frankie was on the opposite side, his thumbs clicking away on his PSP.
"Your hotel." he replied simply, not planning on going any further unless he was asked.
"I'm so excited!" she squealed, taking in the fact that she was finally back with him. "I miss Nick, Kevin and your parents! I can't wait to see them."
"That's great. -It sounds like you miss my family more than you miss your own boyfriend. That gives me this weird warm, fuzzy feeling inside." he chuckled.
"Your family is just so much different from mine. . .I was going through withdraws. -Do you know how hard it is to get my mother to laugh?" At that moment, Joe himself burst out into laughter, causing the back of Bailey's hand to come in contact with his firm chest. The sound of the hit caused Frankie to look up from his game and shake his head.
"Sorry, I thought I was supposed to laugh." Bailey turned her body to face him, giving him 'the look' with her narrow eyes. "Anyway, -" he began, pulling her back into his side. "We've got a whole lot planned for tonight."
"Like what?" Bailey grinned in anticipation. It was her 18th birthday; her big day. She could only imagine what the night was going to come to.
"Well, it's almost 2pm now. Let's see. . .we'll get you back to your hotel, you'll get all settled in and what not, then I'll take Frankie back to Mom, and -"
"Wait; I wanna go with you." she spoke up. "You don't have to drop me off, just take me with you. I wanna see everyone. Plus, it'll save a trip."
"Bails Bails Bails, you'll see everyone eventually. Everything is under control." Joe chuckled as her assertiveness.
"Huh?"
"Look, we're dropping you off at your hotel. You have a massage person coming in, one of those nail people, and then Kathy, your stylist person from 'Traffic Jam'. They're going to help you relax and prep you for tonight."
"What's happening tonight?" she questioned, becoming intrigued as a tiny smile formed on her lips. This boy was up to something, and her mind was beginning to ache thinking of what he could possibly manage to put together himself.
"That I cannot say." he responded, her voice a bit bold as if to say, 'That's all I'm telling you, and I'm not going to crack.'. It was at that moment when the limo pulled up to a simple Holiday Inn. "No, go in there and enjoy yourself. You deserve it."
"-But I wanna go see -" Bailey began, her voice pitching to a whine.
"Are you really going to make me walk you inside myself?" he sighed, pulling his arm out from around her shoulders.
"I really hope you planned to anyway." she replied, a slight and forced offended attitude in her voice.
"Right, right." Joe quickly agreed before scooting towards the door. After telling Frankie to stay put and informing the driver that he was going to be a few minutes, Joe reached for the handle and stepped out onto the concrete that was basking in the warm, June sun. Putting his hand out for Bailey to grab, an unexpected tingle surged up his arm as her fingers wrapped around his. After he lead her inside of the lobby and retrieved her room card, she turned to him with a pleading look in her face.
"Walk me to my room?" Bailey fought the smile that was begging to make an appearance, her voice soft and even sounding somewhat mischievous. Watching Joe bite his lip, contemplating on what to really do, Bailey stared up at him hopelessly. His face then softened, a tiny smile forming on his lips as he handed her the card key to the room. With a small nod, the two departed from the hotel lobby and to the elevator.
"Aren't you going to come in and check things out?" she asked, her blue eyes locking onto his as they stood outside of her room. Reading his face and realizing that he actually had to think about it, she got a little frustrated. "Stop making me have to ask! Just come in. Jeeze, you're making me feel like a skank from a cheesy movie who has to lure the dude every step of the way to -" at that moment, Joe took the card key from her loose grasp, slid it into the slot, then pushed the door open and pulled her in. Quickly and casually 'scanning' the room, Joe stole a glimpse of the red numbers on the digital clock by the bed before turning back to Bailey who was still trying to look deep inside of him. "Babe, what's wrong?" she questioned, her eyebrows coming together as she stepped in front of him. He stared back at her for a moment before closing his eyes and leaning forward, feeling a smile on her lips after the collision. He then felt her hand rest itself lightly on his forearm by her waist before pulling away. Seeing an offended expression form on her face, Joe instantly regretted ending the kiss so abruptly.
"Now, I have to go. Your people should be here any minute." he stated, hoping his pathetic worlds would treat her troubled look. "I'll be back later, ok? Enjoy yourself." he smiled weakly as her face softened a bit, her head nodding. Feeling a bit relieved that she hadn't fully spazzed on him, he leaned down and kissed her forehead before exiting the room. Hearing the hotel door click closed behind him, he quickly fumbled for his vibrating cell phone as he hurried towards the elevator. Once the door shut, he placed his phone up to his ear.
"Where are you?!" a voice exclaimed.
"I'm on my way, chill. I just got a little caught up." Joe defended himself.
"If you want this to work, you need to stay on schedule!"
"I know!" he groaned in response.
"How is she?"
"I'll be completely honest. . .she's so pissed off right now."
"She'll get over it. -Just stick to the plan. Alright?" the voice ordered.
"Alright." Joe agreed, releasing a slow, faint sigh from his lungs.
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