“Annie?”

Annie opened her eyes and saw Emma-Claire standing next to her side of the bed. It was the day that JC was to fly back from Seoul. She rubbed her eyes and looked at her phone. It wasn’t even seven but she could tell Emma-Claire was wide -awake.

“Hey, girl,” Annie smiled tiredly at her. “What are you doing awake so early?”

“Daddy comes home today,” Emma-Claire said matter-of-factly. “I can’t sleep. Can I get in bed with you?”

Annie, as tired as she was, grinned at her and nodded, moving so that Emma-Claire could snuggle against her. She folded her arm around the child’s back and held her tightly. Emma-Claire was humming to herself and twisting a piece of hair around her tiny finger. The entire week, Annie had spoken to JC a total of three times and Emma-Claire had only talked to him once. It had been a busy time in Seoul, he’d explained. He was excited because the band had gained some notoriety and had been invited to do a tour with three other K-Pop bands around Asia in the near future. Annie, wanting to support JC, had sounded excited and happy for her boyfriend’s project, but deep down, she was becoming wary. They’d hardly had a conversation that had lasted longer than twenty minutes in the last two weeks or so. And the times they’d been on the phone with each other that week had resulted in some hot and steamy phone sex-Annie wasn’t complaining about that-and nothing more. Their relationship was still fairly new and as much as Annie felt physically satisfied, she missed their conversations about life. About each other. She would put it out of her head. When he came back, he’d be there with her and Emma-Claire and the normalcy she had grown used to with him would return. Telling herself this was easier than thinking that the distance she had felt would just be more apparent. They wouldn’t let that happen. They were much too into this relationship for that to happen. Again, she had to tell herself that in order to not sink into disappointment.

“What time does Daddy get back?” Emma-Claire interrupted her thoughts.

“Not til this afternoon, honey,” Annie mumbled sleepily. “You should try to get back to sleep, Emma. It’s still really early.”

“But I’m excited. Aren’t you excited to see Daddy?” Emma-Claire rolled over and sat up in bed.

Annie was more than excited. She was downright jubilant inside. She hoped he wasn’t too jet-lagged and that the things they’d spoken to each other on the phone would be reality tonight.

“I am but I’m also really tired,” Annie closed her eyes and tapped Emma-Claire’s arm. “And I don’t want to be too tired to see Daddy later.”

Emma-Claire sighed loudly and relented, lying down next to Annie again. Annie had just about fallen asleep once more when Emma-Claire moved and jostled her way out of bed.

“Emma, where are you going?” Annie was trying her best not to groan in frustration but she knew the child wasn’t going to go to sleep again any time soon.

“I’m gonna go play. And can I have scrambled eggs with cheese for breakfast?” Emma-Claire asked, already standing by the door. Annie sighed and threw the covers off of her. She should’ve known that once Emma-Claire had come to her bed that she wouldn’t be going back to sleep again.

“Yes,” Annie yawned and followed her out of the bedroom.

JC checked his watch for the umpteenth time on the flight. The layover in Tokyo had lasted an hour longer than it should have and he’d texted Annie to let her know they’d have a later landing than they thought. She’d texted him back before getting in bed to tell him she’d be waiting up no matter how late he got in. He’d slept a little on the flight but the thought of seeing Emma-Claire and of being with Annie was too much for him to let his brain shut off. He was also ecstatic for the girls. Asia had taken them in like one of its own and they were going to hear something soon about an upcoming tour through Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam. It would last at least two months and he’d already told Jimmy he expected to bring Annie and Emma-Claire along. Jimmy had only nodded and not said much. He didn’t voice it to JC, but he wondered how Annie would take this sudden change in plans. He also knew how JC was when it came to business and he’d seen far too many relationships crumble because of how focused the man was on the task at hand.

Four more hours. He wanted to be awake for them. He thought about those things he and Annie had said to one another on the phone a few nights back. Things they wanted to do to each other. He smirked at how dirty Annie had talked to him and remembered back when he’d first taken notice of her how he figured she was probably an innocent little girl in bed. Far from it. She just hadn’t been given the opportunity to hone those bad girl skills and JC didn’t mind being the one who taught her how to do it.

He thought of his daughter and how he couldn’t wait to play with her again. He sometimes still couldn’t believe that child belonged to him. He’d grown so accustomed to her being in his life in the last month and a half that he almost couldn’t remember what his life was like before she was there. When he’d talked to her at the beginning of the week, Emma-Claire didn’t want to hang up. She wanted to stay on the phone longer and tell him all about preschool and how she and Annie had stayed up late looking at the twinkle lights in her playhouse and her new friends, Michael and Lance, who, according to Emma-Claire, had come over just to play with her.

But JC knew what else was about to unfold, especially if Girl Radical was going to go on a two month long tour. He knew his focus had to be getting them prepped and ready. They needed more songs, new choreography, more publicity. He’d jotted down ideas on napkins and scraps of paper while on the flight from Seoul to Tokyo. His mind wrestled with how to divide studio and work time with Annie and Emma-Claire. Shifting in his seat, JC rested his head on the back of the head rest and tried to sleep again. He wanted his brain to shut off for once in his life because tonight he just wanted to be with his family and not worry about anything else.

By five-thirty both Annie and Emma-Claire had grown anxious. Annie knew he was landing later and as much as she still wanted to go and pick him up herself, he’d promised her it would just be easier if he rode on the van that was picking everyone up. His car was at the studio and he would drive home from there. Still, Annie was itching for him to get back and when he’d texted at four-thirty telling her they’d landed, it was all she could do not to go stand outside of the house waiting for him. Instead she busied herself with cleaning everything and making sure Emma-Claire’s room was spotless and fixing a large pot of spaghetti for dinner. Even after all of that, he still wasn’t home and when she’d texted him, he hadn’t responded yet. Not to mention that Emma-Claire was glued to the window in the front of the house waiting for his car to pull into the driveway and then asking Annie every two minutes when he’d be home.

“I don’t know, Emma. I wish I knew what to tell you,” Annie sighed, almost exasperated. “I bet if you stop looking out the window, he’ll come and-“

“He’s here!” Emma-Claire squealed, and Annie heard the sound of tires on the pavement. Without hesitating, she grabbed Emma-Claire’s hand and threw the front door open. JC had parked his car in front of the garage and had barely opened the door when Annie and Emma-Claire bounded down the front steps of the house like two little girls. JC stepped out of the car, his hair tousled, his eyes baggy, and his clothes rumpled. He looked exhausted. But Annie didn’t care. He was home and that was all that mattered.

“Daddy!” Emma-Claire shrieked and threw her arms around his legs. JC chuckled at her and reached down to envelope her in his arms and picked her up. Her little legs wrapped around his waist and she clung to him tightly.

“Hi honey,” he kissed her cheek and Emma-Claire didn’t let go. Annie stood back and let them have their moment together, even though every fiber inside of her wanted to jump into his arms as well. He looked up from hugging his daughter and smiled at Annie. “Hey, baby.”

Annie let out a breath that she hadn’t realized she’d been holding in. “Hey,” she grinned at him and he walked over, Emma-Claire still clutching onto him, and wrapped an arm around Annie’s neck, pulling her to him. Their lips met and Annie didn’t want to pull away because the kiss was something she’d been pining for since he left a week ago. Reluctantly, she let go and he whispered in her ear, “Tonight.” That was all he needed to say and Annie knew exactly what he meant. She nodded and laced her fingers through his as they made their way up the front porch steps and into the house.

After he’d unpacked, JC went downstairs where Annie was putting pasta on a plate for Emma-Claire. She’d made a pot of coffee at his request so that he could stay awake. It was finished brewing and JC went to the cupboard to pull out a mug. He brushed up against her and bit at her earlobe before walking over to the table where Emma-Claire was stabbing her fork into her spaghetti.

“Easy, girl. Don’t kill your food,” he teased her. He sipped his coffee and closed his eyes, reveling in being home again.

“I’m not, Daddy. I’m trying to get it on my fork,” Emma-Claire said, pasta sauce now all over her mouth. JC reached over with a napkin and wiped off her face.

“Here,” Annie said, bringing over a plate of spaghetti to JC. “I don’t know how well it’s gonna go with coffee, but I figured you’d be hungry.”

“I am,” he pulled Annie into his lap and discreetly rubbed her butt and kissing her fully on the mouth.

“Josh,” Annie hissed and they both looked over at Emma-Claire who was watching their every move.

“Your face is red, Annie,” was all Emma-Claire said before she went back to her dinner. Annie shook her head at JC and pushed away from him, standing up. She went back to the stove and began to prepare her plate of spaghetti before joining JC and Emma-Claire at the table. JC was listening intently to Emma-Claire recount a story to him about a book her preschool teacher had recently read to the class. He eyed Annie every now and then and smiled at her, then went back to listening to his daughter ramble on about her week.

“I’ll put her to bed,” he told Annie after dinner. “I haven’t tucked her in in a while.”

Annie brushed her lips against his cheek. “Okay. I’ll clean up the kitchen and meet you in the bedroom.”

JC’s eyes widened. “Wear something fun,” was all he said before walking away and going into the living room to retrieve Emma-Claire.

“Hey, where’s your picture of you and Mommy?” JC asked Emma-Claire after he’d read her the story of Aladdin.

“I put it in my drawer,” Emma-Claire pointed to her nightstand drawer next to the bed.

“Why?” JC smoothed out her brown locks as Emma-Claire settled under the covers.

“It kept getting bent,” she said and yawned.

“I’ll get you a frame to put it in so you can see it all the time,” JC kissed her cheek and cupped her little face in his hand. “I love you, Em.”

“I’m glad you’re back, Daddy,” Emma-Claire yawned again and grinned at him. “Don’t leave us that long again, ‘kay?”

JC chuckled at her. “I’ll try to take you with me next time. Goodnight, honey.” He stood to his feet and turned back to see his daughter rolling to her side and clutching onto one of the three dolls she had in bed with her. He looked down the hallway towards his bedroom. The door was closed and the downstairs was dark and quiet. He knew Annie was behind that door and he had waited all week to be with her like he was about to be with her.

Annie had done as JC had asked her and put on something fun. A pink lacy push-up bra with matching panties that showed off everything. She was laying against the pillows on the bed when he opened the door. He grinned at the sight before him and walked over to her, crawling towards her on the bed. She met him in the middle, both of them on their knees pulling each other close. JC’s lips met her neck and began to suckle and bite her. Annie rested her forehead on his shoulder, her hands at the bottom of his t-shirt. She moved her hands up with the fabric, until JC had to raise his arms in order for her to finish taking it off.

“I missed you,” he whispered in her ear, biting down on her earlobe.

“I missed you, too.” Her mouth was pressed to his neck, her hands splayed on his bare chest.

JC folded his arms around her back and pulled her tight against him. She felt so right like this and he’d thought of hardly anything else than doing this with her. Holding her. Making love to her. It was all he’d wanted. When he moved away, Annie was about to protest but she laughed softly when he went to lock the door. “No sense in Emma-Claire being scarred for life,” he told her joining her on the bed again. They laid down together facing each other and continued kissing and groping one another until they were both naked and their bodies were intertwined together. Annie loved the feel of him buried inside of her. Loved hearing the sounds their bodies made of skin on skin. Sweat dripping from his forehead onto her neck. The panting and moaning sounds JC made when he was so close to coming and the grunt of satisfaction that soon followed. He might have been exhausted on that plane ride home, but he sure wasn’t showing any signs of it now. Sex woke him up, made him want more of her and Annie didn’t have any complaints about that. She’d wanted him just as bad.

JC rolled off of her and wiped his forehead with the back of his arm. He turned on his side to face her and she moved closer to him, meeting his lips with hers, then pressing her forehead to his. Their breathing was still erratic but soon slowed. JC kissed her forehead, her cheek, her lips.

Annie didn’t want to leave that bed. It was all she’d wanted for a week and now they’d just made love and she wanted more of him. She leaned in to kiss him again and he cupped her face in his hand to return the kiss. It was then that his cell phone started going off and Annie, hoping he’d ignore it, pulled him back to her.

“Hang on,” he grimaced and moved off of her, jumping out of bed and going over to the phone.

“Josh, really?” she rolled her eyes.

“I’m gonna turn it off, Ann, I just-“ he stopped when he saw the number flashing from the studio. “Hello?”

“It’s me,” Jimmy said.

“What?” JC was exasperated and wished he hadn’t answered now. He looked back at Annie and held up one finger. She crawled to the edge of the bed where he was sitting, his back facing her. She began to plant kisses across his back and then nipped at him while wrapping her arms across the front of him.

“C, I just got here to check some stuff out and the girls’ demo tape somehow got erased,” Jimmy was saying.

JC stood abruptly, Annie falling back. He turned around and mouthed, “Sorry!” to her before going back to his conversation. “What the hell? How did it get erased?!”

“We’re not the only ones who use this place, JC. It looks like someone mistook it for theirs and dubbed it over. We’re gonna have to start from the bottom again.”

“You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me. That’s gonna take months! What about the other copies?”

“They weren’t the complete demos, man. I’m sorry. It’s just the way it is.”

“Shit!”

Annie cringed and knew it wasn’t good, whatever this news was. She moved back to her side of the bed and pulled the sheet over her body, watching JC pace relentlessly back and forth.

“I know, JC. I know. I’m sorry, man. Look, we’ll get the girls back in here tomorrow and re-record some stuff. By the time they leave for their tour, it’ll all be fine. Don’t freak out. Go be with Annie.”

JC wanted to throw the phone across the room. How in the world would they have time to promote the girls and re-record an entire demo? He took in a breath and slowly let it out. There was nothing he could do tonight. “Fine,” he finally said and sat down on the edge of the bed once more. “What time tomorrow?”

“I’ll tell the girls to be here at eight. See you then,” Jimmy hung up and JC sat there, the phone still at his ear.

“What happened?” Annie ventured to ask after more silence than she wanted.

“The demo tape got fucked with and now it’s gone,” JC muttered. “We have to start from scratch and we’re trying to promote them and get a tour going.”

Annie said nothing. She knew the response he needed or wanted wasn’t anything she could give him. Finally, she spoke. “I’m sorry, Josh.” It was better than nothing. She sat there, her knees pulled to her chest, watching him. He stood and turned to face her, rubbing his neck. Annie knew any mood that they had just created before the phone call was now long over. She sunk down beneath the covers and he sighed crossing to his side of the bed. For a minute, they laid in silence.

“I’m sorry, Ann,” JC finally said in the darkness.

“For what?” Annie asked, moving closer to him.

“For answering the phone. For ruining the mood.”

“It’s okay,” she was lying and he knew it.

“No, it’s not.”

Fine. If he wanted to think that she wasn’t going to argue.

More silence followed. Annie laid on her stomach next to him, her arm across his chest and lazily began to strum her fingers across his stomach. She felt him sigh and his body moved closer to her. She moved her fingers down towards his pelvis and looked up at him. His eyes were partly shut, but he was watching her.

“I’ll make it better,” she cooed, moving her hand between his legs and soon she was rubbing his shaft up and down with her delicate fingers. JC groaned and wanted to forget the conversation with Jimmy. He shouldn’t be focused on that anyway. Not when Annie was here pleasing him like she was doing. She began to move her hand up and down on him and JC sucked in a breath.

“You better put your mouth on that,” he growled. “Or it’s gonna go everywhere.”

“I’m good at cleaning up messes,” Annie purred. “And it’s not like we haven’t gotten it all over the sheets tonight anyway.”

JC had to agree with her there. He sunk into the bed letting her take control of him. She went faster and then slowed down, taking his balls in her hand and massaging them slowly. JC watched her and tried to utter something but his mind was too clouded with how her hand was gripped onto him. She rose up and moved between his legs, never once taking her hand away. She bent down to lick his tip and then blew on it.

“That’s mean,” JC managed to blurt out.

“You shouldn’t have answered the phone,” Annie cooed and went back to massaging him with her hand. Soon she was taking turns switching between her mouth and her hand and JC was harder than ever.

“Put your mouth on it,” he could barely get it out.

“What if I want to play with it?” Annie teased him by pretending to place her mouth over it and then moving it away.

“Annie! Please!” JC was begging and Annie couldn’t help but giggle at him. She laid down between his legs and took him fully in her mouth and at the same time, using both of her hands to massage his balls. JC felt her sucking and squeezing at the same time and before long he was thrusting into her mouth.

“Annie….shit…” he let go and Annie swallowed, then licked off of him what she didn’t get. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and crawled next to him.

“Feel better? Less stressed?” she kissed him and nestled herself between his arm and shoulder.

“Yeah,” JC looked over at her. “You know, you can be a little evil bitch when you want to be.”
Annie laughed. “Yeah, well, you shouldn’t have answered the phone. I already told you that.”
JC didn’t want to think about that phone call and he knew she was right. He’d almost ruined the mood completely. He was glad his girlfriend was just as sexual as he was and had tried to get his mind off of what had ruined their night.