Awakened by the sound of a lawn mower nearby, Laura slowly opened her eyes. A familiar scent came across her senses and she smiled as she looked up to see JC lying beneath her. His left arm wrapped around her back and the other arm draped behind Buddy, who was curled up in a ball next to him on the other side of the bed. Laura tried to call to mind how they ended up back at JC's but just smiled when she remembered what they had done in her office on the desk.
Laura slowly lifted her arm from the side of JC's chest and pet the dog before lightly kissing JC's chest. She looked over at the clock and saw it was 10 am and decided to go back to sleep.
"JC are you home?!"
Laura quickly opened her eyes at the sound. Was she imagining things? She looked over at Buddy for some sort of reaction to what she thought she had heard, but he was completely still. Laura decided she had been hearing things and rested her head back on JC's chest.
"JC are you back here?!" the voice drew closer.
JC and Laura immediately sat up in bed. "Oh my God! It's your mother!" Laura whispered as she jumped out of his bed running back and forth like a maniac. "Where the fuck are my clothes?!" Laura whispered to JC as he rushed to put on his boxers.
Knock, Knock. "Are you in here?" his mother said as she slowly opened the door. JC stood there stunned with his t-shirt halfway over his head. He quickly turned around to look at Laura, but she was no where in sight.
"Ummm...Hey mom...What are you doing here? JC nervously asked while still looking around the room for any sign of Laura.
"You don't know how to answer your phone?" I tried calling you late last night and all of this morning. I swear, you could sleep through a tornado if I'd let you. I came by to make sure you were okay. Laura had told me about how you stormed out of the meeting. You had us all worried when you didn't even bother to call, Joshua."
"I'm sorry, mom. I called dad. He must not have given you the message." JC said as he kissed her on the cheek.
"You were suppose to call me and let me know you were okay. Not your father. I'm a mother. I need to hear my son's voice to set my fears aside." she said as she walked around the room picking up clothes.
"Oh mom, you're overreacting as usual." JC said as he took the clothes out of her hands and walked into the closet to see if Laura had fled in there.
"What are you looking for?"
JC jumped at the sound of his mothers voice right behind him. "Nothing! My umm...sneaker...I was going to go running."
"Did you try under the bed?" his mother asked as she walked over to the bed and lifted up the blanket as she bent down.
"Noo!!...I---" JC couldn't think of the words to say to stop her.
"Oh my God!!!!" she screamed. JC quickly turned his head away from his mother's direction.
"Mom, I can explain..."
"Buddy, you scared the living daylights out of me!" she said as she stood back up with a white robe in her hand. "Explain what JC? Here's your robe...what does LC stand for? Is that a company?" she asked as she handed him the robe.
"Its ummm....I ummm....I accidentally took it from one of the hotels I had stayed at..." JC quickly explained as he threw the robe onto the bed.
"Why are you sweating? Come on and let me make you something to eat. You look so pale." she said as she took his arm and pulled him out of the room.
Buddy quickly ran past them back into the bedroom with his chew toy and crawled back under the bed. The toy went rolling across the floor and buddy scampered back out from under the bed after it. Two arms emerged from beneath the bed and Laura slowly slid out watching the door the entire time. She grabbed her robe and put it on and slowly opened the glass door that led to the pool.
"Shit. Shit. Shit." she cursed to herself as she walked back into his room and shut the door. "The kitchen faces the pool....Fuck!" she whispered to herself. Laura stood there trying to think of how she was going to get out of there without being seen.
"So where were you all day and night? I hope you at least got in touch with Laura to let her know you were okay." his mother said as she set down a plate in front of JC at the table.
"Yeah mom. I saw her last night when I got back." JC said as he brought the bagel towards his mouth and suddenly froze. JC's mom turned around to see what JC was staring at. "Oh, hey Laura...We must not have heard you come in sweetie?" she stated puzzled.
"Hi....Yeah...The side door was open so I let myself in." Laura said as she entered the kitchen wearing an oversized Nike shirt and baggy sweat pants. She had rummaged through JC's closet trying to find something to put on.
"Well don't you look....spiffy." Mrs. Chasez said as she looked her up and down and noticed she wasn't wearing any shoes. JC couldn't help but turn his head downward and laugh lowly to himself. JC's mom brushed her hand against his to make him stop.
"Its laundry day, so I'm bumming it. I was watering the plants and decided to come and see what was up with duffus here." Laura smiled as she walked behind JC and messed up his hair with her hand.
"Oh." Mrs. Chasez smiled. "I was just telling him how worried I was about him. Get yourself a plate, Hun."
"Thanks...Yeah I yelled at him last night about that." Laura said as she walked around the other side of the counter to make sure JC's mom didn't see that the pants she was wearing were about to fall down. She quickly rolled pulled at the drawstring to tighten the waist of the pants before grabbing a plate and joining them at the table.
Mrs. Chasez noticed Laura didn't have any juice and decided to get her a glass. "I have told JC over and over again to try and keep his personal life and business separate." she said as she opened the fridge to grab the juice. JC took advantage of his mom's back turned to rub his foot against Laura's under the table and make a kissy face at her. Laura smiled and rubbed back before quickly moving her foot away when his mom's attention was turned back to the both of them.
"Oh yeah?" she asked looking towards his mother.
"Yeah. I know its hard for him to be that way with Jerry, because it didn't happen all that long ago but I would think JC was man enough to put that aside when it came to his career." she said as she handed Laura the glass.
"Well, I have to admit that Jerry did provoke him yesterday, Mrs. Chasez. And Jerry knew what he was doing when he said what he said." she stated before taking a sip of the orange juice.
"Yeah. I would hope that I raised him well enough to be the better man and put their feud aside and just focus on the work. I mean just last weekend Rachel was over at the house and she and JC were outside talking for the longest time. They even shared a long hug. Didn't you kiss her before she left?" his mother asked as she turned to JC who almost choked on his food. Laura's mouth dropped open.
"Food go down the wrong pipe, sweetie?" his mother asked as she patted his back while he coughed.
JC slowly looked up straight into Laura's eyes. "It was only a quick peck good-bye."
"Yeah but it was on the lips. I think there might still be something there." she smiled to Laura. Laura shoved a piece of bagel into her mouth and quickly smiled back at his mother.
"Wow...JC never told me about that." Laura mummbled as she finished chewing the bagel.
"He didn't?" His mother asked puzzled.
"It wasn't a big deal. She was only there dropping off some of my old things." JC tried to explain.
"You should have seen his face when he opened our front door and she was standing there. She sat with us and talked for awhile and then she asked JC to walk her outside. They were out there a good 45 minutes. I was hoping that maybe they were thinking of reconciling. You remember how good they were together, Laura?"
Laura suddenly snapped out of her daze. "Yeah...They were great together...The best...But I figured that after what happened he wouldn't want to see her again." she said as she stood up to take her plate to the sink.
"That's what me and his father thought, but they were out there laughing and smiling and seemed to be getting along great. He looked happier than he has been for a long time when he was out there with her. And I love to see him when he is happy. So full of life...." JC's mom smiled as she remembered back.
"We were only talking." JC said defensively as he followed Laura to the sink. He tried to touch her but she quickly moved away. "So you think they will get back together after all that had happened?" Laura asked as she leaned against the back of the bar stool.
"Oh I hope so...They were so happy together...I think everyone deserves a second chance. Don't you?" His mother asked her.
Laura looked down at the floor. "Yes...Yes I do..."
"Mom, we're not getting back together." JC demanded.
That's not what it looked like to me and your dad." She teased.
"What time is it?" Laura quickly asked.
Its almost 11." JC said looking at her for some form of reaction.
"Oh wow...I better get going. I have a busy day." Laura said as she bent over and hugged Mrs. Chasez good-bye.
"You okay Hun?"
"Yeah I'm great. I just didn't know the time went by so fast. I have a lot to do today. I will see you guys later." Laura said as she stumbled out of the back door.
"Did I say something wrong? I didn't know you hadn't told her you saw Rachel...I thought you two told each other everything...It must be hard for her to be both your friends and not get caught in the middle"
"You didn't do anything wrong mom...She is just under a lot of stress with this new project." JC said. He and his mother watched Laura as she jogged across the yard and disappeared into her house. He wanted to go after her, but couldn't. 'How dumb can you be, Chasez' he thought to himself as he watched her disappear through the fence.
