Part Five
Soft brown hair fell over her shoulders as she leaned forward to grab the remote off of the coffee table. With her good hand, she brushed the hair off of her neck and proceeded to change the channel. “Ugh, why is there nothing on?” she asked herself. Mercedes turned her head to the right as the sound of her phone rang throughout the room. A sigh escaped her pink lips, and she got off the couch to go get the phone that she had left in the kitchen the night before.
“Hello?” she answered.
“Hey there you,” a smooth, sexy voice said on the other line.
“Hey,” she smiled.
“What are you up to?” he asked.
“Nothing actually. I was just trying to find something on the TV to watch.”
“Ah. Well would you hate it too much if I came over?”
Mercedes made a sound of uncertainty. “I dunno,” she teased. “I guess it depends.”
“On what?” he asked.
“You.”
“Me? Why me? What did I do? Or what do I have to do?” he corrected himself.
“Well,” she leaned over the counter top. “My shoulders do kind of hurt,” she softly groaned.
“Uh huh.”
“There’s nothing on TV.”
“Yup,” he laughed under his breath.
“I’m kinda thirsty. In a thick milk shake sort of way.”
“How about this,” he stated. “How about I run by Blockbuster and grab a video. Then I hit the drive thru at McDonald’s and pick up a strawberry milk shake. Hmm,” he paused. “And then I come over to your place to give you your shake, pop in the movie, and then lay with you as I rub your sore shoulders.”
“Well,” she smiled big on the other end of the phone. “I think I would like it very much if you came over then.”
“I think I would too. So, I’ll see you soon?”
“Definitely,” Mercedes continued to smile. “See you soon.”
JC hung up the phone and then grabbed his keys, so he could do exactly what he told Mercedes he would.
Mercedes walked back down the stairs and headed straight for the kitchen. She wanted to get something to eat, but she knew that JC would be back soon with her milk shake. There was this huge relief inside of her that she had finally worked everything out with JC. The rest of the guys knew about it as well, and all in all they were happy for them. They always knew inside that they had a thing for one another and just wouldn’t admit it. Finally they had.
JC had been so great to her this last week. It was like he was always there for her whenever she needed something. Chris had spent some time with her as well, just to make sure that she had everything that she needed when she had first got home from the hospital. Mercedes’s bruise and scratches were healing great, and her wrist was slowly but surely starting to get better as well.
After looking around the kitchen for awhile, she decide to give up and just go back into the living room to wait for JC. She hadn’t even made it to the couch when she heard the doorbell. “Ah, my milk shake,” she said right away. “Hey,” she said once she opened the door.
JC reached his arm around her a little and greeted her back. “Hey sweetie. Here ya go,” he handed her the shake that she had been urging for what seemed like forever to her.
“Thanks,” she got on her tip toes and kissed his cheek. “What movie did you get?” she asked when she saw the bag hanging from his arm.
JC tugged at the bag with his free arm and said, “The Wedding Singer,” and then looked at her for approval.
She answered back with a smile. “Good choice,” she said and winked at him. “Oh... come on in,” she laughed when it finally hit her that they were still standing in the doorway.
JC smiled and stepped in, then reached behind him to shut the door. He kind of shrugged his body then bit his lip. “So, how ya feeling?” he asked and sat on the couch.
“Good,” she smiled at him. “Here, I’ll put the movie in,” she reached for the bag.
JC took the bag off his arm and pulled the movie out. “Here,” he handed it to her.
Mercedes couldn’t help but to smile at him. ‘How did I get so lucky.... again’.
“Mer, you okay?” he said when he noticed her daze.
She shook her head quickly and said, “Yeah I am fine. Sorry just thought of something.”
“Uhm okay,” he smirked back. “Hurry up so you can back over here by me.”
“Right,” she laughed and turned to the VCR to put in the movie. Once it was in she fast forwarded through the previews and then hit play. She then walked back over to JC and sat next to him. “Better?”
JC looked at her and kissed her quickly. He put his arm around her to pull her closer, and said, “Now it is.” Then the movie started and they sat there together to watch it.
The movie had ended and JC sat behind Mercedes with his hands placed on her shoulders. He carefully massaged them, and occasionally he ran his hands up and down the length of her arms. Mer’s eyes slowly opened and closed as he put her in such a relaxed state. There was no way she would rather be at that moment in time.
“So did you enjoy the movie?”
Mer nodded her head, but said nothing.
“Does this feel good?” he then asked.
Again, she nodded her head, but said nothing.
“Do you want me to stop?” he was seeing if he could catch her off guard.
Following the same pattern, she nodded her head and said nothing.
JC smiled and removed his hands from her body. It didn’t take her long before she opened her eyes up and gave him a questioning look. “You told me to stop,” he answered her stares.
“I did no such thing,” she proclaimed.
“You did so,” JC laughed.
“You’re lying. You just wanted to stop,” she started to get up.
JC put his hands on the top of her shoulders and caused her to quickly plop back onto the couch. “I didn’t want to stop,” he said and started to rub again. “You just kept nodding and giving me the same answer for everything, so I asked if you wanted me to stop and you nodded.”
“You loser,” she reached back with her good hand and hit him.
“Oh so you do want me to stop?” he began to remove his hands again.
“No no,” she answered quickly. She put her hand on top of his and placed it back in its right place just in the crevice of her neck. “Please,” she whined.
JC chuckled slightly and then agreed. “So will you at least talk to me while I do this?”
“Uh huh,” she moaned.
“Ha, don’t go doing that now or we won't be sitting her on this couch too long.”
A smirk took over her face. “What ever do you mean?” she looked back at him and licked her lips seductively.
“Mer I mean it,” he said quickly.
“I don’t know what you mean,” she said in a soft tone. She put her hand on her stomach and raised her shirt just enough so that a small patch of skin showed.
“Mer, this isn’t funny. Don’t tease me.”
“Who’s teasing?” she looked up at him again.
“Well it for sure isn’t me,” he laughed and scooped her up in his arms. “You asked for it,” he stated and then headed straight for the stairs with her still in his arms.
Mercedes giggled as JC set her down on the bed and started to tickle her. “JC, don’t.... please.... no no..... stop,” she laughed.
“You teased me, now I get to bug you,” he laughed back at her.
“But... but I did it for a good reason,” she squirmed beneath him.
“Sure you did.”
“I did,” she couldn’t stop laughing.
“Well,” he said and tickled her sides, “I think.... that if you are nice and stop teasing me... I might stop.”
“Okay okay. I’m sorry. No more teasing,” she stated and then her breathing slowed down as JC stopped tickling her.
“You’re beautiful when you are all squirmy like that,” he brushed a piece of hair off of her face.”
She blushed and said, “You just know that I can’t say no to you anymore.”
JC tilted his head as if he had to think about it. “Yeah, you’re right,” he laughed and then kissed her forehead.
JC positioned himself right next to her, and rolled Mer so that she would be facing him. With his arm laced around her waist, he couldn’t help but think of how right it felt. Mercedes too, felt like they had finally found their place. After all the fighting, the finally figured out what was right.
“Jace,” she said and looked him straight in the eyes.
“Yeah,” he answered back. His thumb ran over the sides of her skin on her waist.
“Can we talk?”
“Sure we can talk. What do you want to talk about?”
“Us. Well, why there almost wasn’t an us.”
JC knew where this conversation was leading. He was happy that she finally felt enough trust and security to tell him. “Tell me whatever you want, just as long as you promise to stay right here next to me.”
Mercedes cracked a smile. “I promise,” she said and then sighed. “So this is what happened...”
After laying there together and talking for almost twenty minutes, Mercedes had finally finished telling JC the whole story of her and Marc, and what had happened. JC comforted her when she grew weak as she spoke of him, and he understood why she had acted the way she had.
“I guess, in a way, you had every right to hate me at first.”
“It wasn’t that I hated you JC. I was afraid of you. You look just like him. I knew that deep inside you would be as perfect as he was. I didn’t want to take the chance of losing you the way that I lost him. And most of all I wanted to know that I could grow to like you. The person that you are, and not the person that you remind me of.”
“So...” he stalled. “Have you grown to like the real me?”
“Every bit of you,” she smiled. She reached her hand out and gently moved her fingers over his stomach. “Every inch. Every detail,” she said in between soft kisses.
JC’s eyes lit up and he deepened the kiss between them. He rolled himself over back on top of her and ran his hands through her hair. He leaned back and looked down at her. With a slight smirk on his face he said, “It’s still early in the day you know.”
“I know,” she smiled. “Just means we have all day together. All night too,” she smiled again and then lifted her head to make their lips meet again.
~*~A few hours later*~*
“What the hell is this?” JC looked again at the ingredients on the paper in front of him. “Hmm,” he scratched his chin. JC grabbed the container marked ‘flour’ “Ha this is what I need.” He opened the container, but it was empty. “Damn,” he cursed. He looked at the residue left at the bottom of the tub and sighed. “There has to be more of this stuff,” he said aloud to himself.
JC started to open up the other containers, not bothering to check the labels. “What did I tell ya,” he again spoke to himself. He found another container that was full of the same powdery substance. Little did JC know, this was not flour. Instead, he had found the container of powdered sugar. “And they say cooking is hard!”
It wasn’t but five seconds later that JC started to hear something sizzle. “What the?” he said. “Oh shit!” he cursed as quiet as he could, yet it was still loud. The water that he was boiling was now splattered all over the stove. “This is just great,” he said and stared at it. “Man, screw the boiled water. Water is water,” he said and then filled the bowl with regular tap water.
“Alrighty,” he smiled and started to mix his batter full of eggs and powdered sugar. “This looks sick,” he said and made an icky face. “Hmph,” he sighed. “This takes too long.” JC then remembered seeing some guy mix up stuff quite quickly once while using a blender. “Blender, blender,” he said and looked around Mercedes’s kitchen. “Ah ha,” he exclaimed when he found the blender in the corner of the shelf.
“This will make things easier. I don’t understand why girls ware out their arms by trying to mix this stuff anyhow,” he said as he poured the contents into the blender. “Close fit,” he said as the stuff rose completely to the rim of the blender. JC looked at the buttons and then hit the button that looked the most like one that would make the thing work.
Within a matter of seconds JC was covered with battered eggs and powdered sugar. “Oh my God what happened?” he said as stuff splattered at his face, the walls, and the counter top. JC’s hands went straight to his face in hopes of preventing some of the mix from getting on his face. “This is not good,” he finally said once the stuff had stopped spewing around the kitchen. “Really not good,” he sighed and leaned over the counter. “No wonder I only barbeque.”
Mercedes rolled over and reached her arms out over the other side of the bed, but felt nothing except for sheets. She rubbed her eyes and couldn’t believe that she had fallen asleep right after they had just had such a wonderful love making session. “Damn he wore me out,” she laughed to herself. Mercedes looked around the room and made a face when she thought she heard noises coming from downstairs. “Please don’t tell me he broke something,” she giggled.
Mer looked at the clock and sighed when she saw that it was nine o’clock that night. “Jeeze,” she said and slowly rolled over. She grabbed the sheet and wrapped it around her slim naked body, and with one foot at a time she stepped out of her bed. Once standing straight up she ran her hand thru her hair and sighed once again. “What is he doing?” she asked herself and then kicked the sheets so as not to trip over them.
The thin white sheet trailed behind her and flared down the stairs as she glided down them. When she reached the bottom, she looked around the corner with ease just to make sure that JC wasn’t standing in the living. “Well, duh,” she then thought straight. All the noise was coming from the kitchen, so that was obviously where he was at.
Mercedes gathered a handful of her sheet and lifted it off of the floor. Very quietly she took the needed steps to approach the kitchen. Immediately she put her hand to her mouth.
“Shit,” JC cursed again and took the washcloth and wiped off part of the counter. “Mer is gonna kill me,” he stated. With that said and done, another pan fell off the counter and clattered as it hit the linoleum floor.
Mercedes wanted to just burst out laughing. Instead, she leaned against the corner of the wall and continued to watch JC’s cooking adventure. She tried to figure out what it was that he was making, but failed to be able to do so with all the mess that he had made.
“Oh my God I give up,” JC groaned as he picked up the pan and tossed it into the sink along with the other dirtied materials that he had used.
Mercedes cleared her throat.
JC spun around with great speed and glared right into Mercedes’s eyes. “Mer baby I am so sorry for the mess. I just...”
“Shh,” Mer said and she put her finger to her lips. Slowly she walked up to him and gave him a gentle kiss. “It’s alright.”
“But, look at this mess,” he said and pointed all around the kitchen. There were dished everywhere, not to mention his blender mishap. “I just wanted...”
“I think it is sweet. Thank you,” she smiled.
JC looked her over and sighed. “You look beautiful,” he said and ran his thumb down the side of her cheek.
“I look a mess. I can’t believe I fell fast asleep.”
“I laid there for awhile and just watched you. You looked so beautiful that I couldn’t stand to wake you.” JC lowered his hands and placed them on the small of her back, just over the sheet.
Another smile swept over her face and she licked her lips. “I’m glad you came over,” she said and then looked down at her arm still wrapped up.
“Anytime and anything for you,” he smiled. “Sounds cheesy I know, but I do mean it.” JC then raised one of his hands and ran his fingers over her arm. “You want to order in some pizza or something?” he asked.
Mercedes smirked and let out a small giggle. “I want to thank you for trying to make me a meal first.”
JC’s eyes lit up and he too smirked. “How do you plan on doing that?”
“Oh,” she ran her good hand over his chest. “I’ve got my ideas.” She looked at him and then glanced down. “Maybe if this wasn’t here,” she said and ran her hand up his shirt. “Maybe it could help.”
JC quickly met her wants and removed the shirt from his body. He lowered his head and kissed her lips. “As I said, anytime and anything you want,” he said and placed his fingers on the side of her body and caused her sheet to drop.
“I’ll take you up on that,” she answered back and threw her arm around his neck to pull him closer. “Get over here,” she said. “You’ll be the one wanting to sleep after I’m through with you,” she giggled and continued to pursue her thanks.
JC panted and then sighed as he back was bare against the cold linoleum floor. He rolled over onto his side and looked right at Mercedes. “Aren’t you glad I made this mess now?” he asked as he ran his finger over a streak of ‘blendered goo’ on Mer’s stomach.
“I must admit that this food experience was on the fun side,” smiled. “But now we’ve got to clean this mess up,” she said and propped her face on her hand so that she faced JC.
He ran his thumb over her cheek. “I know,” he pouted. JC turned his head to glance at the kitchen. “I sure did mess this place up.”
“I should go to your place and do the same,” Mercedes giggled.
JC contemplated the though. “Well,” he began, “if it is going to end like this, you are more than welcome to come over anytime tomorrow.”
Mer gently gave JC a push and caused him to fall back over. “You are horrible Mr. Chasez,” she laughed.
JC lifted himself back up and hovered over her. “Yes, but you can’t tell me that you don’t like it.”
“I could tell you that I don’t like it. I’m just not sure on how convincing I could be.”
JC chuckled. “Okay, we should for real clean,” he said and grabbed his boxers off of the cabinet door.
“I guess I agree,” she groaned.
“I’d love to stay right here with you and get all messy again, but this stuff is gonna start to set soon. I’m not really sure what all this stuff is that I used either,” he laughed.
Mercedes sat up and grabbed the towel that she had brought down with her. She covered her chest and then stood up. “I should probably go and put on clothes first.”
“You don’t have to do that you know,” he goofed.
“Yes... I... do...” she said in between kisses. "I’ll just get some gross clothes to put on. I’m kind of messy right now anywho,” she observed as she looked at the powdered sugar smothered on her skin.
“I like ya all messy.”
“Too bad,” Mer said and then headed out of the kitchen.
JC stood in nothing but his boxers and grabbed a washcloth out of the drawer. He ran it under the water and started to clean the mess that he had made a little over an hour ago.
A few minutes later Mercedes entered the kitchen to help JC clean up the mess that he had made, and then the mess that they made together. When he saw her come in, he automatically took action. Mercedes couldn’t help but giggle as JC put the spoon to his mouth.
“On my way to see my friends, who lived a couple blocks away from me ahh. As I walked through the subway, it must have been about quarter past three,” JC pointed at Mercedes and continued to sing. “In front of me stood a beautiful honey with a beautiful body. She asked me for the time. I said it'd cost her her name, a six digit number, and a date with me tomorrow at nine.”
Mercedes’s only reaction was to laugh.
“Did she decline?” he sang right to her.
“No,” she sang back.
“Didn't she mind?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Was it for real?” he put his hand on her arm.
“Damn sure,” she smiled back.
JC stepped back and put the spoon back to his mouth. “What was the deal?”
Mercedes continued to sing back the answers even though she felt a little ridiculous doing so. “A pretty girl aged twenty four.”
“So was she keen?” he gave her a questioning look.
“She couldn't wait,” she stepped back up to him and ran her hand down his still bare chest.
“Cinnamon queen?” he licked his lips.
“Let me update,” she back away.
“What did she say?”
Mer just wanted to laugh, but instead, she continued. “She said she'd love to rendezvous. She asked me what we were gonna do. Said we'd start with a bottle of Monet for two,” she sang with beauty, but also with style.
“Monday, took her for a drink on Tuesday. We were making love by Wednesday,” JC put his hands no her hips and swiveled his hips in a downward motion. “And on Thursday and Friday and Saturday, we chilled on Sunday.”
“You’re crazy,” Mercedes managed to say before JC started to sing again.
“I met this girl on Monday. Took her for a drink on Tuesday. We were making love by Wednesday. And on Thursday and Friday and Saturday, we chilled on Sunday.”
Mercedes looked at him with a wide smile and tried to walk past him.
“Nine was the time, cause I'll be getting mine, and she was looking fine. Smooth talker, she told me she'd love to unfold me all night long.” JC ran his hand over her back. “Ooh I loved the way she kicked it from the front to back she flipped. And I oh oh I yeah hope that she'd care, cause I'm a man who'll always be there.” JC kissed her cheek as he passed around the side of her.
“JC aren’t you ever gonna stop?” Mercedes giggled. She had sang with him in the beginning of the song and thought that he would stop there, but it was obvious that he had no intentions of stopping.
“Ooh yeah, I'm not a man to play around baby. Cause a one night stand isn't really fair. From the first impression girl hmm you don't seem to be like that, cause there's no need to chat. For there'll be plenty for that. From the subway to my home, endless ringing of my phone. When you feeling all alone, all you gotta do is just call me, call me,” he said and made the phone signal with his left hand to his ear. JC looked at her. “Humor me,” he whispered.
Mercedes couldn’t resist that smile. “Monday, took him for a drink on Tuesday. We were making love by Wednesday. And on Thursday and Friday & Saturday, we chilled on Sunday,” she sang and changed that one word of ‘her’ to ’him’. That alone got a smile out of JC.
“I met this girl on Monday. Took her for a drink on Tuesday. We were making love by Wednesday. And on Thursday and Friday and Saturday, we chilled on Sunday.”
“JC, you are hopeless,” she smiled and tried to wipe off part of the counter.
JC turned Mer towards him as he sang the bridge. “Since I met this special lady,” he sang with his hand over his heart. “Ooh yeah. I can't get her of my mind,” he put both of his hands to his head and slowly moved his head from side to side with the beat of the song. “She's one of a kind,” he grabbed her hand. “And I ain't about to deny it. It's a special kinda thing with you,” he pulled her close. “Ohhh,” he wrapped his arms around her.
Mer wanted to cry. She didn’t know exactly why, but she just wanted to bawl her eyes out.
“Monday, took her for a drink on Tuesday. We were making love by Wednesday,” JC put his hands no her hips and swiveled his hips in a downward motion. “And on Thursday and Friday and Saturday, we chilled on Sunday.” JC was singing it slowly and almost in a whisper this time.
He rocked her back and forth as their bodies swayed. With his voice even lower he said it once more, “I met this girl on Monday. Took her for a drink on Tuesday. We were making love by Wednesday. And on Thursday and Friday and Saturday, we chilled on Sunday.”
“You are such a dork,” she laughed as he still had his hand around her waist.
“I know, but you know you like it.”
Mer sighed. “Yeah I guess I kind of do. Don’t let anyone else know that okay?” she laughed.
JC ran his finger over his lips. “My lips are sealed.”
“Don’t keep them shut too tight,” she giggled and leaned in to give him a kiss.
Just as she started to deepen the kiss, the phone rang. “Man,” JC groaned.
Mer giggled. “Sorry,” she said and leaned over for the phone. “Hello?”
“Hey girl,” the voice on the other end answered.
“Hey Chris,” she said and leaned against the counter. “What’s up? It’s late.”
“It’s not three in the morning, so it isn’t late. I was seeing if C was over there.”
“Yeah he’s here. Did you need him?” she asked.
“Kind of yeah. Can I talk to him?”
“Sure,” she said and handed JC the phone.
“What’s the deal man?” JC answered. “Why didn’t you call my cell?”
“Why don’t you turn it on?”
JC tried to think back. He didn’t remember turning his phone off, but he assumed that Chris wouldn’t just make that fact up. “Sorry,” he laughed.
“Well you were on my list...”
“For what,” JC interrupted.
“If you’d let me finish my statement,” he blurted out. “You were on my list to call. Johnny got ahold of Lance and told him to call around between us and let us know that we gotta fly out tomorrow.”
“What for?” JC didn’t remember anything on their list for the next few days.
“Something up in New York. I don’t know really. I was the last of the chain. Well, before you that is. Information kind of got lost between Joey and I.”
“Nice,” JC sighed. “What time are we leaving?”
“We gotta be at the airport at seven. Lance said he’s gonna pool us and leave his car at the airport and then let Jessica bring it home that night when she gets off work.”
“Do I need to bring anything? How long?”
“Just you and overnight stuff. We’ll be back the next day around five I think.”
JC sighed again and looked at his watch. “Alright. Thanks,” he said.
“Later C. Tell Mer that I said goodnight.”
“Will do. Bye Chris,” he said and hung up the phone.
“Leaving tomorrow huh?”
“Yes,” he replied back to Mercedes. “Chris said to tell you goodnight as well.”
Mer just nodded. “When you coming back?” she ran her hand up his arm.
“Day after tomorrow. I don’t even know why we are going. Translation of things got lost by the time it got to Joey.”
“Figures,” Mer laughed. “Well you should get some sleep then babe.”
“Yeah I guess so. Can I crash here? I’ve got something here to bring up there right?”
“Yeah you do.”
“Let’s go to bed then,” he laughed. “I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be a long day,” he said and grabbed Mer’s hand as they left the unfinished kitchen.