Chapter 11 - Alex

As promised, Jordan called Alex once he landed in New York. Alex had to wake up at 6 am on a Saturday for the call, but she didn't care. Her man, the Jordan W. wanted to talk with her and she was completely smitten.

Jordan texted her while backstage before interviews; he face timed her in the car, as he rode to various location; and they talked on the phone anytime they could find in between.

Outside of discussing what they were currently doing, they spent a lot of time coming up with a discrete plan to see one another when Jordan got back. Jordan was close friends with legendary director Ralph Stevens and made plans to be taken to Ralph's compound once he left the airport in Los Angeles. Alex would follow an hour or so later, in her rental car, since the paparazzi weren't familiar with it. She would enter the compound through the back entrance.

To their surprise, the plan worked out well. On Saturday night, Jordan only encountered a few cameras at the airport and made it to Ralph Steven's compound without incident. When Alex arrived, Jordan's  security guard smiled and led her through the back of the mansion.

Jordan was standing in the middle of the massive drawing room wearing a hooded sweatshirt, sweat pants, and basketball slides. Alex didn't hesitate when she ran up to him and leaped into his arms. With her legs around his waist, he cradled her into a long kiss.

"I missed you, babe." Jordan said, placing her down gently on large cream colored chaise. Before she had a moment to reply, Jordan had already pressed his full lips onto her mouth. Just as she parted her own lips, allowing Jordan's tongue to break through, his security guard cleared his throat.

"Excuse me, sir? Your food has arrived." Jordan and Alex laughed and sat up, not fully letting go of one another. Alex's eyes widened as the house attendant carted in trays filled with all of Alex's favorite foods. She saw sushi, wings, pasta, tiramisu, and more.

"Oh my gosh!" she gasp. They had played a game of twenty-one questions during their picnic at the park and he had asked her to name her favorite food. She'd responded that she loved food too much to pick just one favorite, so she gave him her top ten instead.

Now, she was looking at a cart filled with all the items on her list. "Jordan, you are--"

"Amazing? Yeah I get that often." He joked, pretending to pop his collar.

She rolled her eyes, then kissed him. "I feel so spoiled."

"Rule number one of our relationship: I have to spoil you whenever I can."

Alex raised her eyebrows at the mention of the word relationship. Hmmm...so we're official now? She thought to herself, feeling a trace of guilt. Alex didn't tell her mother about every single date or phone call she had with a guy, but she always let her mother know when she was officially in a relationship. Keeping this from her mother would be a bit like lying to one of her best friends.

"Rule number two of our relationship," Jordan continued, "always communicate. We're not always going to see each other everyday, so it's important that we communicate what's going on, that way other people or the paparazzi can't divide and conquer."

Alex nodded in agreement, then she chimed in with a rule of her own. "Rule number three, we have to talk everyday. Even if it's just a phone call saying goodnight. Before the clock strikes twelve, I need to hear your voice."

"Ok, Cinderella." Jordan smiled.

After eating, Jordan invited Alex upstairs to a guestroom, where his luggage was stored. He had brought her a delicate bracelet with her name engraved on it as a souvenir. He explained that he had it made by his favorite jeweler in New York and placed it on her wrist. Alex was overwhelmed with emotion and the two spent the rest of the night cuddled up in the luxurious guest room's king sized bed kissing, laughing and catching up.

Bzzzz. Bzzzz. This time, Alex wasn't alone when her phone woke her up. Reaching for her phone she dismissed her calendar reminder.

"Who's calling you, this early?" Jordan grumbled shielding his eyes from the rays of sun which streamed brightly through the winder. To Alex's delight, his morning voice sounded even deeper than usual.

"It's a calendar reminder for my meeting, today, with Damien."

"Who's Damien?" Jordan was now sitting up and rubbing his eyes.

"Damien Phillips...remember? I told you that I got a media coach."

"Oh yeah, the guy you showed up to the premiere with."

"OMG, it wasn't like that! I told you how that happened."

"Yeah, ok. Is he planning to come to your apartment again?"

"I guess, so. That's where we met before."

"Well, I don't like him. He didn't need to be all up on my woman, like that."

"We weren't even together, yet."

"He should of known we would be together." Jordan stated with mock bravado. Alex knew Jordan was somewhat kidding, but he did have a point. She didn't think Damien was a bad person- and being very attractive certainly didn't hurt her impression of Damien - but he did throw her off at the premiere with that kiss.

"I can text him for his office address?" Alex said, deciding that meeting Damien in a professional setting was the best decision.

[Text from Alex to Damien] Good morning Damien, please send me your office address. Thanks!

"Do you have to leave now to get ready for your meeting?" Jordan asked.

"I guess I should, especially if I'm going to be driving to Damien's office. Either way, I'll be back at my place no later than two, so come by around then. The paps are gone and you can wear a disguise or something....or we can just meet tomorrow."

"No, I'm in meetings at the studio all day tomorrow. I'll come by today." Jordan walked Alex downstairs and to the door. When they realized how cold it was outside, Jordan gave Alex his hoodie, since she didn't have a jacket. He's literally the perfect guy for me. She thought, getting into her car.

Once she got to a stop light on a main road, she put the hoodie's sleeve up to her nose to get another whiff of Jordan's scent. The smell of body wash and a cologne she couldn't quite identify washed over her, causing her to grin. When her text notification went off, she assumed it was him, but she was wrong.

[Text from Mom to Alex] do you need to me to pick you up?

The text was time-stamped for twenty minutes earlier. Assuming it was delayed because of a poor signal at the compound, Alex was confused at how her mother knew she wasn't home. The only people who knew where she was were Jordan, Zee, and Jordan's security guard. She could rule out the security guard, because he'd been with Jordan for years and once you breach confidentiality in this business, your career is over. Guards get paid more doing their jobs than what they would get leaking a photo. It wouldn't be worth it for them.

Before she could consider Jordan or Zee, she remembered she and her mother were scheduled to have breakfast that morning. Oh snap, she probably went to my place looking for me and used the key under my mat to get inside when I didn't answer. Obviously, if I wasn't home, she figured I was out. She said aloud in her empty car.

[Text from Alex to Mom] Sorry about missing breakfast, mom! I'm good, I don't need a ride. I'll call you later.

Alex's conscious was starting to get to her. She genuinely forgot all about their breakfast date. It was bad enough keeping Jordan from her mother, but now she was standing her mother up to hang out with him, which was terrible, even if it wasn't on purpose.

She figured the best way to make it up to her mother was to be on time to her media coaching session and give it her all. So, once Alex got home, she laid her outfit out and jumped into the shower.