"London?" Rachel looked up in surprise at JC across the table at dinner a week later. The people at the table next to them turned to look at her and she lowered her voice as she leaned towards him. "You're going to London?" She asked. He nodded silently as he reached across the table and took her hand. "When? For how long?"
"Come with me." He said.
"You didn't answer my questions." Rachel replied stubbornly.
JC sighed. "Wednesday." He told her.
"As in five days from now?" She questioned. He nodded. "How long have you known about this?"
He looked down at his watch. "About six hours." He replied. "I'm going to be gone for about ten days." He continued as Rachel sat back in her chair with a sigh. "Come on, Sass." He plead, "Come with me."
"You know I can't come with you, Jace." She reminded him. "I have that project with Universal I'm doing, not to mention all my other clients, and I've got that new intern I'm mentoring..." She shook her head. "I can't leave right now." JC sighed in disappointment as he let go of her hand and picked up his fork--picking at his meal. Rachel groaned. "I hate it when you pout." She grumbled. JC looked up at her. "I also hate it when you're gone." She pouted herself.
"We wouldn't have to be apart as much if you'd taken that dancing position they offered you." He quietly reminded her.
"You and I both know why I turned that down." Rachel replied. Though she'd been ecstatic when she'd gotten the call informing her she'd been chosen for the crew that was going on tour with JC, after a moment's thought Rachel had turned the offer down. She knew her knee could only handle so much and being back up on stage auditioning had almost done her in. Besides, she told herself. I had my shot at a career in dance and it wasn't meant to be. Someone else should be given the chance that I never was.
"We could go to Paris again." JC offered, drawing Rachel back to the conversation at hand as he continued to try and convince her to go with him.
"Jace..." She whined. "That's not fair. You can't dangle something like that in front of me. Besides, what are the chances that you'd even have time to go to Paris?"
"I'd make time." He assured her confidently, causing Rachel to narrow her eyes at him. She recognized that glint in his eyes. He thought he was winning.
"As much as I'd like to think that would be the case," she told him. "You and I both know that when you're on the road Marcus calls the shots."
"I was able to come home early last week, wasn't I?" He countered.
"Yes," Rachel nodded. "Which only means Marcus is going to be on his toes this time." JC narrowed his eyes as he looked at her. "Don't look at me like that." Rachel told him. "You know I'm right." He sighed again as he looked down at his plate and was quiet for a few moments.
"What do you want to do when we're done here?" He asked, seeming to accept the fact that she wasn't going to give in.
Rachel thought for a moment. What do I want to do? She slowly took a bite of her chicken. She was in the mood to do something different than their usual; going to a club, or just hanging out at home. She smiled as an idea came to mind.
~~~~~
"Uh-oh." JC chuckled as he saw the mischievous sparkle in Rachel's eyes. He leaned towards her. "I know that look."
Rachel looked at him innocently. "What look?" She asked and he laughed again.
"That look." He said, pointing his fork at her as he grinned. She was adorable when she was being evil. "What are you cooking up in the pretty head of yours?"
"Nothing." She replied but he didn't believe her. "Just a nice, quiet evening. Nothing special."
"And what does this nice, quiet, non-special evening consist of?" He asked, leaning back when their server appeared and cleared their plates from the table.
"Will you be ordering desert tonight?" The man asked them. JC looked at Rachel in question, but she shook her head.
"No." JC answered then looked back at Rachel expectantly. "So...?" He prompted when the waiter had gone.
"It's a surprise." She told him with a secret smile. "Can I drive?" She asked, holding out her hands for his keys.
"Ooh...I don't know." He hesitated. "You're kind of a scary driver." Rachel gasped then laughed.
"I am not!" She defended herself. "I haven't once gotten a ticket or been pulled over."
"You're angry behind the wheel." He told her. "I don't know that I want our nice, quiet, non-special evening starting off on an angry note."
"And I don't want to ruin the surprise by telling you where we're going." She replied, sticking her bottom lip out in a pout.
"Damn it." He exclaimed quietly as he reached into his pocket and withdrew his keys. Rachel giggled in triumph as she took them from him. She knew him too well. He was a pushover when it came to this woman and she knew exactly what buttons to push to get her way.
"Let's go." She said, standing. He took her hand when he stood next to her then leaned over and gave her a quick kiss on the lips before they turned to leave.
After ducking the few photographers waiting outside the restaurant and getting into the Mercedes, JC sat back as Rachel drove towards her secret destination. Turning to look at her he smiled. The lights from the dashboard illuminated her beautiful face in the darkness and he couldn't resist reaching over and tucking her hair behind her ear--his fingers trailing along her skin as his hand came to rest on the back of her neck. Rachel looked over at him for a second and the thoughts that had been running through his mind for the past three weeks made him reflect on everything that had happened in his life during the past nine months. Had it really only been nine months since Rachel had come back into his life? He was taken back as he turned to look out the window. So much had changed over the last year. So much had happened. And so much was about to happen. He just prayed that he was ready. But, he asked himself. Was anyone ever really ready?
Twenty minutes later Rachel pulled off to the side of the road and turned off the car. "Where are we?" JC asked, undoing his seatbelt as he followed Rachel and got out.
"One of my favorite places." She told him with a smile as she leaned down and took off her shoes. Then, tossing them in the backseat of the car she set the alarm and walked around to take his hand. "Come on." She said and he followed her down to the water.
~~~~~
As they walked along the sand, hand in hand, Rachel smiled. She closed her eyes for a few seconds, taking the moment in--wanting to memorize everything from the sound of the waves, to the feel of the sand between her toes, to the smell of JC's cologne as it drifted past her on the breeze. These were the things that represented safety and tranquility to her. She opened her eyes as she leaned her head on JC's shoulder, her eyes watching as the reflection of the moon shone on the water. She felt him press his lips against the top of her head and she smiled--tightening her hand in his.
The sounds of a party up ahead made Rachel lift her head as her eyes turned to investigate the source of the noise. She smiled as they passed a large building where it was obvious a wedding reception was going on. As the band inside started to play JC stopped and Rachel looked at him in question for a moment before he pulled her closer--wrapping his arms around her as he started swaying slightly to the music. Rachel laid her head on his chest as she closed her eyes and listened to the words being sung.
I've seen the storm clouds in your past
But rest assured cause you are safe
At home at last
I rescued you, you rescued me
And were right where we should be
When were together
I know the questions in your mind
But go ahead and ask me one more time
Youll find the answers still the same
It wont change from day to day
For worse or better
Will I promise to be your best friend
And am I here until the end
Can I be sure I have been waiting for you
And did I say my love is true
Baby I will, I am, I can, I have, I do
I know the time will disappear
But this love were building on will always be here
No way that this is sinking sand
On this solid rock we'll stand forever
Will I promise to be your best friend
And am I here until the end
Can I be sure I have been waiting for you
And did I say my love is true
Baby I will, I am, I can, I have, I do
Baby I will, I am, I can, I have
Oh, I will, I am, I can, I have
Baby I will, I am, I can, I have, I do
Rachel closed her eyes and tightened her arms around him, never wanting this moment to end. She didn't want to think about the fact that he was leaving again in a few days. She didn't want to think about all the stress at work right now. All she wanted to think about was the perfect evening they were sharing--walking in the moonlight on the beach holding hands, and dancing to a song that seemed to have been written just for them.
But as the song ended JC stopped dancing and Rachel looked up at him. He brought his hands up as he placed them on either side of her face and looked into her eyes. "I do." He said and softly pressed his lips against hers.
~*~
"Good morning." Aubrey smiled as Rachel walked into the office Monday morning.
"Morning." Rachel replied, trying to juggle all the notebooks and files in her arms.
"Did you have a good weekend?" Aubrey inquired.
"Um..." Rachel paused as she set her stuff down on the front desk counter and blew the hair out of her eyes. Barley eight o'clock and I'm already frazzled? This is going to be a great day. She thought sarcastically. "Sure." She said aloud in answer to Aubrey's question. "Except for the part where JC told me he was leaving for London in few days and he's going to be gone at least a week and a half."
"That's what you get for dating a world famous musician." Aubrey reminded her with a laugh. "Don't the perks that come along with being with him make up for the fact that he's gone a lot?" She asked.
Rachel looked at her, one brow raised. "Ask me that question again when you're in a serious relationship with someone and he's always out of town on business."
Aubrey smiled. "Fair enough." She conceded.
Rachel picked up her stuff again as she headed back towards her office. "Hold my calls." She teased.
"Right." Aubrey replied, her laugh following Rachel down the hallway. The smile on her face however, fell and her steps slowed as she approached her office.
"What's going on?" She asked as several guys she didn't know or recognize were carrying all of her things out of her office and depositing them back in her old cubicle. None of them answered her. "Excuse me?" She tried again, walking towards them. "What's going on?" Her head bounced back and forth between her office and cubicle where all her stuff was now stacked in a haphazard mess and she felt like crying. No. She felt like stamping her foot like a two-year-old and throwing a tantrum. "What the hell is going on?!" She exclaimed, slamming the books in her hands down on her old desk before turning and storming into her office, intent on demanding an answer from one of the apparently mute workmen that had invaded her space.
She drew up short however, when she spotted Rob in the corner of her office holding a set of blueprints out in front of him as he talked to yet another man Rachel didn't recognize.
"Rob?" She asked, putting her hands on her hips. "What's going on?"
Rob looked up at her a look of pure hatred crossing his features until he covered it with a smile for the benefit of the other people surrounding them. "We're doing some remodeling." He replied. "We're lengthening the conference room and turning what's left of this space into a storage room."
"Why wasn't I informed of this last week?" Rachel asked. "If someone would have told me I would have--" she stopped as she took the pile of papers and her mug of pens and pencils currently being carried out of the room from a short hispanic man. She glared at the man. "I would have moved everything on Friday."
"I thought I did." Rob replied. "Hmmm...must have slipped my mind." He said flippantly as he went back to looking over the plans, effectively dismissing her.
Rachel felt like throwing one of the pens in the cup she was holding at him. Instead she turned and stormed out of the room and sat down heavily in her old desk chair. Putting the papers and mug on the desk Rachel put her arms up on the table and laid her head down, burying her face in them. She took several deep breaths as she fought the hot, angry tears that wanted to come. He's doing this on purpose. She thought. Why? Why won't he just leave me alone? She sat back and stared up at the ceiling for a moment then, taking one more deep breath she turned and surveyed the mess that was now her office space again then began the arduous task of putting everything back in order.
"So much for doing any kind of real work today." She grumbled under her breath as she began the arduous task of putting everything back in order. "I'll be lucky if I'm done by Christmas."
~*~
As luck would have it, it only took till Thursday for Rachel to have everything back in order in her cubicle, despite the fact that she knew Rob had expected it to take her longer. She'd even been able to continue working on the different design projects she had on her plate at the moment and was feeling good about how everything was progressing. Placing the final file in her cabinet Rachel stood back and put her hands on her hips as she surveyed her area proudly. Now, she thought as a couple of her co-workers walked past her. Down to business.
"Oh, Holly!" Rachel called out, stopping the bubbly intern she'd been mentoring for the past couple weeks. "I was just going to come find you. Can you do me a huge favor?" Rachel watched as the girl's blue eyes bounced back and forth nervously between Rachel and her fellow designer Nicole. "Is something wrong?" Rachel asked.
"N-no." Holly stuttered. "I just...um, Rob told me..."
"Why don't you go a head and grab those couple samples we were talking about?" Nicole said, smiling at the girl. "I'll meet up back at my desk in a couple minutes."
"Okay." Holly replied, breathing a sigh of relief as she turned and scurried back towards the storage rooms.
"What's going on, Nicole?" Rachel asked, folding her arms across her chest as she looked at her co-worker.
"Rob asked me to take over mentoring Holly." Nicole informed her. Rachel stared at her in shock.
"What?!" She exclaimed. "Why would he do that?"
Nicole quickly pulled her back into her cubicle so they wouldn't be making a scene in the middle of the hallway. "He said he didn't feel like you were the best person to show Holly the ropes." Nicole continued in an apologetic whisper.
Rachel's jaw fell. "Not the best person?" She repeated as her anger started to boil. She unfolded her arms as she clenched her hands into fists at her side. "That's it!" She exclaimed. Reaching around Nicole, Rachel opened her top drawer, grabbed the papers that she'd been keeping there, and strode angrily towards Rob's office. "He wants to play dirty?" She exclaimed under her breath. "Then we're going to play dirty." Without bothering to knock she opened the door to Rob's office and walked in, slamming the door behind her.
"What the hell is your problem?" He asked as he looked up at her but remained seated behind his desk.
"That's my question." Rachel spat back at him. "You just don't know when to quit, do you?" She asked. "You could have just walked away and nothing would have happened, but no." She shook her head. "No! You wanted to play dirty. Well fine!" She shouted. "I can play dirty too. You see these?" She exclaimed, holding up the papers she was clenching in her hands. "I'm filing a sexual harassment suit against you."
Rob's eyes widened in fear and Rachel felt a smug sense of satisfaction wash through her. "That's right." She told him as she leaned down and placed her hands on his desk. "I'm not afraid of you." She said looking straight into his grey eyes. "You're a selfish, manipulating son of a bitch and soon everyone is going to know about it." She stood and looked at him smugly. "You can also consider this my resignation." She informed him. "I quit."
"You can't quit." Rob replied, standing suddenly.
"I just did." Rachel responded.
Rob's eyes narrowed as he looked across the desk at her. "I can make it so you'll never be able to work as an interior designer anywhere in L.A." He threatened.
"You just try and stop me." Rachel said, turning and leaving his office. As she closed the door behind her she breathed in the sense of empowerment surging through her. She'd finally done it! She'd finally had the guts to stand up for herself and it felt great! With a smile she walked back towards the Office Manager's desk in order to follow through with filing her suit against Rob and tendering her resignation.
It wasn't until a couple hours later, after she'd gone through all the paperwork that went along with filing sexual harassment charges against someone, giving her official statement of everything and gathering up all her personal belongings that things began to catch up with her. Sitting in her car at a red light the enormity of what she'd just done hit her and Rachel began having a difficult time breathing. It felt as if a ten pound weight was pressing against her chest. "What did I do?" She asked herself aloud. She needed to talk to someone but, looking at the clock and figuring out the time difference between L.A. and London, she realized JC was getting ready to go out on stage at this very moment so she did the next best thing. Reaching for her phone she dialed Megan's number and waited for her best friend to pick up.
"Hello?" Megan answered in her usual cheerful way.
"Guess what I just did?" Rachel replied.
"Um...kissed a goat?" Megan asked.
"What?" Rachel asked with a chuckled. "No! That sounds gross. I would never kiss a goat. Where the hell did you come up with that one?"
"I don't know." Megan laughed. "It was the first thing that came to mind. What's up?" She asked. "What did you just do?"
"I just filed a sexual harassment suit against Rob." Rachel stated.
"What?" Megan exclaimed. "Really?"
"Uh-huh." Rachel nodded, though Megan couldn't see her. "And then I quit."
"You quit?!" Megan replied in astonishment. "Seriously? You just quit?"
"Yep." Rachel answered. "And now I feel like I can't breath and I want to throw up. What did I do?" She asked, hoping Megan would have the magic answer like she always did.
"I don't know." Megan replied. "I...I don't know."
"That wasn't the answer I was looking for, Megs." Rachel told her as she pulled into the garage and turned off her car.
"Does JC know that you did all this today?" Megan inquired.
"Nope." Rachel put her head back on her seat and covered her eyes with her hand. "I can't call him for a few more hours. He's just starting the show."
"Wow, Rach. I don't...good for you." Megan said.
"Yeah?" Rachel asked.
"Yeah." Megan replied. "Way to stand up and take charge! I'm proud of you."
"Thanks." Rachel chuckled then took a deep breath. "It felt good." She admitted.
"I bet it did." Megan chuckled. "So what happened?"
Rachel got out of the car and walked into the house as she related the events of the last few days that had led up to her breakdown this morning to her best friend. "My career was finally taking off," she said as she sunk down onto the couch in the front room. "And I just blew it all by walking away. Am I stupid? Tell me I'm stupid."
"Nope." Megan replied. "Because you're not stupid."
"But what am I going to do now?" Rachel replied.
"What do you mean, what are you going to do now?" Megan asked. "You can do whatever the hell you want! What do you want to do?" She asked.
"Fly to London and surprise JC." Rachel said without thinking, but as soon as the words were out of her mouth she smiled and a giddy sense of excitement filled her.
"Then do it." Megan told her.
"I think I'm going to." Rachel smiled. "Can I call you back later?" She asked.
"Of course." Megan chuckled.
"Thanks." Rachel said. She ended the call with Megan then went upstairs and began packing.
~*~
JC leaned his head back against the wall of the elevator Friday afternoon as he rode it up to his floor. He was exhausted. Luckily, tonight was an off night and he wasn't performing. Instead he'd spent all day doing a couple talk shows and just got done doing a radio interview. He rubbed the back of his neck as he pulled his phone from his pocket. 4:00. Which meant it was ten o'clock in the morning back in L.A. Even though he knew Rachel was at work and probably busy in a meeting, he dialed her number anyway--needing to hear her voice. He'd tried calling her last night but she hadn't answered and she hadn't called him back. He frowned as her phone again went to voicemail and he hung up without leaving a message. She would call when she wasn't busy he told himself as the elevator doors opened and he stepped out. Walking down the hall to his room he pulled out his key and let himself in, frowning slightly when he noticed the light was turned on. The maid must have forgotten to turn it off. He reasoned as he took a deep breath, stopping when a familiar fragrance hit nose. He took another whiff trying to locate the scent's origin. Impossible. He thought, as he shook his head. He had just been thinking about Rachel and was missing her, which must be the reason he thought he could smell her perfume. It was the only explanation. But as he walked further into the room JC stopped.
There was another explanation. And he'd never been so happy to be proven wrong.
~~~~~
Rachel fought not to smile at the look of absolute shock on JC's face as he stood looking at her. The key in his hand dropped to the floor and he blinked a few times as if trying to convince himself she was really there.
"Wh-wh..." He stopped then started again. "What are you doing here?" He asked.
Rachel pulled her bottom lip between her teeth as she looked at him through her lashes from where she sat at the table in his room. "You said you wanted to come back and find me waiting in your hotel room more often." She replied, slowly standing and walking towards him. "Wasn't that an invitation?" She asked. "I just figured--"
Suddenly his hands were on her face as his lips connected with hers fiercely. Rachel wound her arms around his neck--her fingers sinking into his hair as she matched his passion eagerly. She laughed when he released her face suddenly and leaned down. Wrapping his arms around her hips he lifted her up as he straightened. Rachel locked her legs around his waist and looked down at him as she licked her lips, smiling when she saw the familiar blend of love and desire in his blue eyes. Her stomach quivered as his lips once more met hers and she soon found herself falling back on the bed. She giggled as he worked to scoot them up towards the headboard, his lips never leaving hers for more than a second.
"How did you get here?" He asked finally pulling back enough to look at her though his arms and legs remained entangled with hers.
"An airplane." She responded and she lifted a hand and combed her fingers through his hair--her eyes following the movement.
"I tried calling you last night." He told her. "I was starting to get worried when you didn't answer or call me back."
"I'm sorry." She replied, her eyes connecting with his once again.
"I thought you said you couldn't come." He countered as he bent his head and began moving his lips over her jaw and down her neck.
"I quit." She told him. JC pulled back and looked at her in surprise.
"You quit?" He asked. "Just so you could come see me? Rach, I'm not--"
Rachel placed a finger against his lips to silence him. "I didn't quit just so I could come see you." She said. "Though this is a nice bonus." She grinned up at him.
"Why did you then?" He asked rolling off of her.
"Because I promised myself when my job stopped being fun I would quit." She told him.
"What's going on, Sass?" He asked as they both sat up and leaned back against the headboard.
Rachel sighed. "Rob was making my life a living hell at work." She replied. She told him what had happened the last few days and he put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close.
"I wish I could have been there to see you put him in his place." He replied proudly and Rachel chuckled as she looked up at him.
"You know, I have you to thank for everything that's gone on this week." She said.
"Me?" He asked in shock. "What did I do?"
"You gave me the strength to stand up to Rob." She told him. "Without you constantly forcing me to face all my demons over this last year and finally deal with all of my issues I never would have had the courage to do what I did yesterday."
He smiled as he leaned down and pressed his lips against hers--his simple kiss soon turning into a heated exchange that left Rachel breathless and tingling from head to foot. What this man was capable of doing to her with just his mouth should be illegal she decided as she lay back down and welcomed his weight atop her once more. The addictive taste of his kiss and the familiar tone of his voice as he pledged his love to her finally proved that she'd done the right thing. She was where she belonged and as long as he wanted her, that's how long she'd stay.
~*~
"I told you I'd make time to go to Paris." JC said a few days later as they walked along the Seine.
Rachel trailed her hand along the top of the wall that lined the famous river, her thoughts racing. Does he remember? She wondered. Is he going to...no. She fought back her growing nerves. He didn't even know I was coming. She reminded herself. There's no way he's planning to--
"Penny for your thoughts." He said, nudging her with his shoulder. She looked over at him as she stopped walking. He turned and faced her, his eyes holding hers.
"I'm just thinking." She told him.
"About?" He questioned.
"About the last time we were here." She replied honestly.
"Oh." He turned and looked at the water.
Oh? Rachel thought. That's all you've got? Oh? She sighed and fought the disappointment that came at realizing he wasn't going to follow through on the promise he'd made her at Christmas--surprised that it was affecting her so much.
"Rachel?" He asked, turning to look at her again.
"Yeah?" She smiled.
"The last time we were here I made you a promise." He said.
"Yeah..." She drawled, her heart leaping in her chest as the smile on her face faltered.
"Do you remember?" He questioned.
"Yeah." She told him. Her breath caught in her throat as he pulled something from his pocket and slowly opened the tiny black box--revealing a gorgeous three stone diamond ring. Her eyes flew up to meet his. "Joshua?"
"Will you marry me?" He asked, causing tears to form in her eyes. She hurriedly blinked them away. Her eyes bounced back and forth between him and the ring he was holding, completely speechless. "Rach?" He questioned with a nervous chuckle.
"I'm sorry." She said coming out of the daze she'd been in. "What?" She asked, convinced she must have heard him wrong and she was just hallucinating.
"Will you marry me?" He asked again. "I promised you the next time we were here I'd do it right. If you want me to get down on one knee I will..." He said, starting to kneel.
"No!" Rachel exclaimed, grabbing onto his shirt as she looked around at the people who had already stopped and were watching them curiously. She felt her cheeks beginning to burn in embarrassment.
"No?" He questioned, looking confused. "But you told me yes when I asked at Christmas. I don't--"
"No." She chuckled as she shook her head. "I meant no, don't kneel down." She looked at him for a moment. "You really want to marry me?" She asked needing reassurance that he was doing this for the right reasons, and not just out of obligation because of the promise he'd made her.
"Yes." He replied confidently.
"What about all your years of professing to the media that you'd never get married?" She questioned.
"That was before I met you." He told her. "Rachel you've turned my life completely upside down and made everything right. I can't live without you anymore. I've never loved anyone the way I love you and I need to know you're mine forever. I want to do this. For the first time in my life I want to get married and start a family. With you."
"A-a family?" She questioned, her heart pounding furiously in her chest.
He smiled as he lifted a hand and brushed the hair from her face. "I saw the look in your eyes a few months ago when you were holding Megan's baby and as we were sitting there I found myself wondering what it would feel like if it were my baby you were holding. I want to find out what that feels like." Rachel's stomach quivered at his admission. "So?" He questioned, the look in his eyes taking her breath away. "Are you going to give me an answer or do I have to ask again?"
"Ask me again." She said, still not believing this was really happening.
He smiled, his blue eyes sparkling. "Rachel Olivia Kline," he said taking her left hand and removing the ring he'd placed there six months ago. She watched as he slid the new diamond engagement ring on her finger in its place. "Will you marry me?" He asked for the third time, his eyes boring into hers.
"Yes!" Rachel exclaimed. He laughed as she jumped into his arms and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Yes." She said, resting her forehead against his as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "Yes." She whispered and pressed her lips against his.
