Callie heard but ignored the light tapping at her door. Fully dressed, she laid on the bed, in the dark, sobbing quietly.

“Callie. I know you hear me. Open the door, please.”

Taptaptap. “Callie. Open the door. “

With an audible sigh, JC gave up and went to his own room next door. He paced in front of the bed, thinking. ‘What do I do? Is she mad? Or hurt? Should I have not kissed her? But she kissed me first! Dammit, Callie!’

JC picked up his phone and as a last ditch effort, sent her a text.

‘I just want to talk to you. Sorry I accused you of trying to make Curtis jealous. Just tell me you’re alright. Or if you’re not.  Please don’t ignore this.’

Callie’s phone lit up and buzzed. She knew who the text was from, and resisted looking at it for a few minutes. Instead she washed her face, changed out of her dress and heels and pulled back the sheets to get into bed. She sighed, then, eyeing the phone. She couldn’t resist, and read his message then tapped out a short response.  

‘I’m fine. I feel stupid. I’m sorry. I hope I haven’t screwed things up. I’m going to bed, see you tomorrow.’

‘WAIT! There is nothing to be sorry or feel stupid about. Nothing is screwed up. Don’t go to bed, come talk to me.’

‘I’m so so so embarrassed. I can’t.’

‘There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. Come over. Please? Wear your fuzzy socks.’

 A small smile flashed across Callie’s face. She picked up the pair of socks where she’d left them on top of her suitcase and put them on, grabbed her keycard, and went next door. JC answered almost immediately, as if he‘d been waiting for her.

“Hey,” she said, trying to appear nonchalant, as if they had not been joined at the tongue a few hours prior.

“Hey, you,” he answered back.

She made herself comfortable in a chair, not daring to look at him. He sat on the edge of the bed, across from her.

‘So,” he said after a long, uncomfortable silence. “You wanna talk about anything?”

Callie shrugged and chewed on her bottom lip, not daring to look at him.

“Ok, I’ll talk," he said, clearing his throught. 

" Like I said, I’m sorry I accused you of something you didn’t do. I looked up and I saw Curtis and he was watching you. With me. And he wasn’t happy.  I was really enjoying dancing with you and I thought you might have been like… getting close to me or whatever. When I saw Curtis, I guess I felt stupid for thinking that you would actually let me get close to you. I thought you had been using me to make him jealous.”

She shook her head, finally raising her eyes to look at JC. “I didn’t know he was there, I swear. I never saw him, even after you told me he was there.  I would NOT do that to you, and I don’t care what Curtis thinks. I haven’t cared what Curtis thinks in a long time. HE broke up with ME, so if he has jealousy issues, maybe he shouldn’t have dumped me. “

“Understood. So… the kiss?”

Callie blushed a deep red and felt her temperature rising. “I… I was feeling good and I’d been drinking—it’s not an excuse, I just didn’t … I dunno, something just made me do it. You said I had to have had a reason for dancing with you like that. I guess that was my way of telling you the reason."

Silence. A long, pregnant pause. They stared at each other, each daring the other to take a step forward.

JC swallowed audibly, then said, “You danced with me because … because you wanted to kiss me?”

Callie laughed quietly. “Among other things.”  

'Holy Shit. There is no going back, now. You just like being hurt, don’t you?’

“Really.”

She nodded slowly, looking at him straight on. There was nothing left to hide.

JC's face broke into a relieved grin. “Callie,” he whispered, sliding off of the bed onto his knees. He maneuvered himself between her legs and wrapped his arms around her waist. Callie’s arms refused to move and she was barely breathing—her entire body was frozen, waiting to see what he would do.

Soft lips touched hers, very lightly and then with more pressure. Callie leaned into him, and their lips met in a deeper, more earnest kiss.   She took his face in her hands, caressing his stubbled cheek with her thumbs while their tongues intertwined and played with one another. JC moaned and smiled while he kissed her. Callie giggled at him as she kissed him.

“Mmmmm… finally,” he whispered when they parted.

“Amen,” she whispered.

“Come here,” he said, standing up and leading her to the bed. “My knees are over thirty. I just want to be more comfortable, I’m not gonna try anything.”

“What if I want you to?” Callie climbed onto the massive bed and JC followed, sitting next to her.

“I’m... not gonna try anything,” he laughed.

“Aw, you’re no fun.”

“I’m plenty of fun. I just… we should… not do anything we might regret. We have a lot of work to do, yet and I don't want to screw up what we've done. Make it weird or anything.”

“I haven’t regretted any of this, so far,” Callie said, leaning over to kiss him, long and slow.

“God, you’re good at this,” JC mumbled, and leaned in for another kiss.

“You’re not so bad yourself, Producer Man,” she said, wrapping her arms around him.

“That is not my name, Calpernia,” he said, gently pushing her so she was laying down. He laid down next to her, propping himself up on one elbow and held her hand in his.

“Oh, how did I know that was coming?”

“I’m a little bit predictable,” he said, bringing her palm to his lips.

“Your lips are soft.”

“So are yours. So are your hands. So is your skin.”

“I like this, right here,” she said, scratching at his stubble.

“You like when I’m lazy and don’t shave?”

“Yeah. I like a lot of things.”

“Like?”

“Like, when you smile, the corner of your eyes wrinkle up. Like, right before you’re about to say something you think is funny you get this twinkle in your eye. Like, when you laugh at your own jokes like someone else told them. “

“Somebody has to laugh at them. May as well be me,” he said, laughing and blushing. “I like a lot of things about you.”

“Oh?”

“Mmmhmmm. I like this little dimple you get when you’re trying not to laugh at my really funny jokes. Like when you chew your lip when you’re nervous. Like you play a tough bitch but you’re such a pussycat.”

“Don’t tell anyone. That’s a well-kept secret.”

“My lips are sealed,” he said, leaning down to kiss her.

“I like the way you kiss,” she mumbled between kisses.

‘Mmm... what do you like about it?”

“You’re good at it!’ she giggled. “And you taste good. Not… like cigarettes.”

“Curtis smokes?”

Callie nodded. “He hides it.”

“Hard to hide.”

“Yeah. Even if you brush your teeth, it’s still like licking an ash tray.”

“Ew. What’s kissing me like licking?”

“I don’t… want to think about it.  Kiss me so I don't have to. Please?”

He obliged and rolled so he was half on, half off of her. Callie’s fingers could not stop running through his hair. She felt a hand on her thigh, making its way up her body, very slowly. It stopped momentarily at her hip and continued upward, stopping at her breast, cupping it and then gently caressing it, feeling for her nipple. It made itself known, rising through the thin fabric of her t shirt. He rubbed it with the pad of his thumb, eliciting a quiet moan from her.

“We have a problem, Callie,” JC murmured.

“I feel it," she said, writhing against the growing bulge pressed into her thigh. "I wouldn’t call it so much a problem as an uhm… symptom? ”

“You have one of those, too, he said, lightly scratching at her raised nipple. "No, not that. I said we shouldn’t do anything we’d regret. I can’t think of one thing I would regret right now.”

“And yet there are things we should probably not do.”

“Yes. Do you see the problem?”

“More clearly than you do.”

“Damn. I was hoping you didn’t see the problem and we could do things we shouldn’t.”

“Mmmm. It’s not going to happen, handsome. As much as I want it to. And I do want it to.”

“Do you?”

“ Bad. But...we wait. Right?”

“Mmm. Because. We have work to do, still.”

“Yes. Working relationship and all. But it’ll be better later and all that jazz.”

“Yeah. That. Damn. Because. I’ve been thinking a lot…”

“About?”

“About that day I saw you in just your t-shirt. At the door.” JC stopped raining kisses on Callie’s neck to look her in the eye. “Yep just as I thought.  That green eye is driving me mad.”

Callie laughed loudly. “Just the green one? Is the brown one a turnoff?”

“It’s not your best feature. You should… you should close that eye and just walk around with the green one. It’s hot.”

“Like this?” Callie closed one eye.

“Yes. YES. That’s hot, right there.”

“Ok but what if I need both my eyes?”

“You’ll get used to it. Have it removed so you won’t revert back to using it.”

“That’s so not funny, you idiot.”

“That’s a really good idea. I can’t believe you’re shooting it down.”

“JC,” Callie started, laughing too hard to keep talking. “I like you. You’re hilarious. So much fun. Except you won’t fight with me.”

“I don’t like to fight. Sorry.”

“Yeah I’ve seen that.”

“You don’t either. That’s why every time you think I’m mad at you, you go crazy trying to find me and make sure I’m not.”

“No, I love to fight. I just hate you being mad at me. It would throw everything off and set us back and I didn’t think I could afford to piss you off.”

“You’ve never pissed me off, Callie.” JC smiled and his hand resumed its journey over her body, stopping between her legs. He hesitated and looked up at her. She smiled and raised one eyebrow. She didn’t object, but he continued upward again, this time traveling under her t-shirt, lifting it so he could see her to reveal a taught, flat stomach.

“Oh my God. ” he mumbled, laying kisses from her belly button up to her ribcage and back down to her panty line. Callie closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of his soft lips and hot breath on her skin. She reached down and pulled her t-shirt up over her head, exposing a thin, light almost opaque black bra.

JC growled when he saw it, his eyes dark, moving himself up so he could bury his face between the ample cups. Callie laughed when he mimicked drowning. JC laughed with her, his heart quickening at the sound. He heard it so infrequently and liked it.  He laid his head on the soft, pillow -like orbs and sighed. Callie lightly scratched his scalp with her nails, looking down on his full, thick head of dark brown hair.

“I love your hair. It’s perfect.”

“I'm getting gray hairs,” he said, muffled by a breast.

“Are you going to sleep?”

“No. Just… enjoying this. You. I like these.” She could feel him smile against her.

“Oh. Well they like you, too.”

“I see,” he said rubbing his thumb over an erect nipple. Callie moaned and rolled her hips under him.

“Mmmm… just had a thought,” he whispered.

“What?”

“Do your panties match this bra?” Callie nodded, smiling. “Can I see?”

In a short moment, Callie’s pajama pants were off and JC admired her body, head to toe.

“JC. Can you… will you take your shirt off?” He hesitated, but did as she asked, and pulled his shirt over his head. He started to lay back down but she stopped him, laying a hand on his chest. She sat up, on her knees and reached out to touch him, letting her hands glide slowly from his shoulders, down his muscular arms, and across his chest, her fingers lightly raking the layer of hair.

“Do you shave your chest?”

He grinned and looked down at himself. “Wax. And my arms. Sometimes, yeah.”

“Why?”

“Cause I’m hairy! It bugs me. I’m… I have neurotic tendencies.”

“No kidding. You should stop it. The hair is sexy. Especially on the arms. God, I love your arms. Every time you hug me, I lose my mind.”

“Really,” he said, grinning at her, his bottom lip caught between his teeth. He rose up on his knees and brought her to him, holding her tight. She wrapped her arms around his waist, laid her head on his chest and sighed. She smiled, listening to his heartbeat. ‘He’s excited to be here with me. I hope I’m not dreaming.’

“Callie,” JC whispered.

“Hmm?” she answered.

“Why did you run away? After we kissed?” Callie breathed deeply and lifted her head, bringing her arms up around his neck.

“This whole time I’ve been telling myself I’m stupid for having feelings for you, that you didn’t want me. And… yesterday we talked and you said some things that reinforced that, and so ... it wasn’t me running away from you. It was me running away from me. I don’t think it registered that you were kissing me back. I just felt stupid for doing it and then when you moved us up against the wall, I… thought … I thought you were trying to hide so no one would see. Like, embarrassed about me kissing you.”

“So when you ran, and then wouldn’t answer the door, you were embarrassed?”

Callie nodded. “I just felt like ‘shit, what did I do, I just totally screwed up everything, now he’s gonna be uncomfortable around me’. It wasn’t you. Did you think I was mad? ”

 “Or like… hurt that I would think I could make that move on you. Like, after our talk last night about guys that want...something...from you. I didn't want you to think I was like that. Even though you kissed me first.”

She shook her head. “No. It wasn’t you. I promise.”

“I was thinking the same thing about you. That you weren’t like... into me. I decided I wouldn’t say anything because I didn’t want to be rejected. And then I didn’t really want to come behind Curtis. But it was getting hard to hide.”

“Well now you don’t have to,” she said, bringing her open mouth to his. He moaned as they kissed, running his hands up and down her long waist. He gently pushed her back so that she was lying down and laid on top of her. Callie wrapped her legs around his.

“Can you take your jeans off?” Callie whispered.

“No.”

“Why?”

“Because.”

She laughed. “You know that’s not gonna satisfy me. Why, JC?”

“Because...I’m not wearing anything under them.”

“Oh. Ohhhhh. You don’t want me to see you?”

“No, I don't care about that.  I’m trying hard not to rip these pretty things off of you and have my way with you, is why.”

“Ohhhh. Yeah. “

“Professional relationship and all.”

“Yeah.  So. How long do you think we have to uhm… maintain our professional relationship?”

“At least till your album is done. It won’t be long. It’ll be worth the wait.”

“I hope so. I can’t wait.”

JC took a deep breath and rolled to the side, laying an arm on her waist and propping himself up on an elbow.

“What’s wrong?” Callie asked.

“Just better that I’m not laying ON you.”

“Aw. I like you laying ON me.”

“I know. I’m trying, here, Callie. Trying hard.”

Callie giggled at his effort, but thought he was sweet. “Can you just put on a pair of underwear? Did you bring any?”

“Oh. I guess I could do that.” He got up from the bed, dug through his suitcase and pulled out a pair of briefs. Before Callie could turn away, he unzipped his jeans and pulled them down, kicking out of them. His erection flopped out of them and bounced with his movement. He slipped on a pair of boxer briefs, laughing at how they barely concealed him, and laid back down next to her. Callie reminded herself to breathe as he smiled down at her and moved in to kiss her, lightly at first but deeper and with more passion after a few minutes.

Callie grasped his arm and pulled him onto her, arching up in to him, sighing and moaning through the kiss. JC’s hips responded and he ground into her, groaning. Callie found a position that nearly sent her into orbit and wrapped her legs around JC, grasping him and pushing him into her as she ground up into him.

“Oh my God, don’t stop, Callie.”

“I'm not. Oh… GOD! You feel good.”

“I feel really good. I’m about to--”

“Me too,” said Callie, practically biting a hole in her lip to stop herself from screaming, grinding harder and faster into him. He responded in kind, thrusting his hips into her, beads of sweat popping up all over his body, his skin turning a light shade of pink, and his breath coming in heavy puffs to match his rhythm.

“Callie,” He whispered.

“Oh my God, oh my God, OH MY GOD,” she whimpered in his ear. Her hips jerked and spasmed against his, she gasped in deep breaths of air and her body convulsed up under him. Feeling her climax sent him over the edge and he joined her, moaning louder than he wanted to, but refused to let it take away from his pleasure.

“Sneaky, Callie,” he panted, grinning down at her in post climax bliss. Her skin was glistening with sweat, her chest rose and fell with every breath, her hair splayed out around her head as if it was a halo. She smiled up at him innocently and shrugged.

“Whaaaaaaaaat? I just asked you to put on some underwear. I didn’t know you were gonna flash me.”

"I'll... be right back,” he said, looking down at his soiled briefs.

“Should I go?”Callie asked, sitting up.

“No. No, no. Please don’t go. I’ll be right back. Get in the bed.”

Callie pulled the covers back and slid between the cool, crisp sheets. She heard water running in the bathroom, and smiled to herself.

‘Feeling proud of yourself?’

Callie shook her head to quiet her thoughts. The bathroom door opened and JC came out in a fresh pair of briefs and crawled into bed beside her, snapping off the lamp next to him. Callie turned so her back was to him and he moved behind her, one arm around her waist.

“Callie.”

“Mmmm…”

”Tonight was fun. All of it. Thank you.”

“Thank you, too. I didn’t do it by myself.”

“I can’t wait till…”

“I know. Me either. ‘Night.”

“ ‘Night.”