Chapter 31 - Jordan

The camera flashes sounded like distant fireworks in the hotel conference room when Jordan, supported by two crutches, made his way onto the raised platform. He sat down in the center seat and pulled the table microphone close, placing his crutches down beside him. He never had an issue with interviews, but press conferences were synonymous with controversy, in Hollywood, and the last thing he wanted was controversy surrounding his career.

His father and mother, who were walking ahead of him, sat in the two seats at his left. Directly to his right was Alex and then his publicist and manager. Vince remained standing behind Jordan's chair. Being surrounded by them help him feel more confident, but his nerves were still dancing beneath the surface.

Jordan lifted the single sheet of paper off of the table and the room became quiet as he began reading his prepared statement.

"Good morning, everyone. First, I want to thank you all for coming, today. I want to thank my supports for your well-wishes, cards, and gifts. Your support means a great deal to me and I plan on working extra hard to recover fully, so I can continue my work, both on screen and in the community. I'm grateful to be joined by my parents, my head security officer, manager, publicist, and especially my beautiful lady, Alexandra Montgomery. My objective is to address a recent emergency incident that occurred and hopefully answer any remaining questions to the best of my knowledge."

He began to feel uncomfortably warm under the lights. Looking out at the sea of photographers and reporters, he felt uncharacteristically anxious. Alex must have sensed his discomfort because she reached over and placed a hand on his knee, beneath the table, giving it a light squeeze. Jordan looked over at her and in a briefly exchanged glance, they had a complete silent conversation.

Alex's eyes were saying, You've got this. Everything will be alright; but if it's not, I'll shut this whole thing down. When the corner of her mouth slightly lifted, Jordan knew she understood his look, in return, which said, Thanks babe, I love you...and I can do this.

Jordan continued, "Two nights ago, I was accidentally shot twice in my right bicep and right calf, in my home. Thankfully, thanks to my excellent security guard, Vince, I only incurred flesh wounds and no one else was hurt. I've been cleared by my doctors to return home and will work on my physical therapy and recovery there. I ask that as I begin the process of recovery and healing, you be considerate and respectful of my privacy, as well as the privacy of those closest to me. Thank you again, everyone!"

His publicist opened the floor up for questions to the panel and a stampede of questions herded the platform making it impossible to identify who was asking the questions. Trying his best to manage the spitfire session, Jordan simply answered questions as he heard them come.

"What was Darcy LaRowe doing at your house? Was she more than a friend?" someone shouted from below.

"A police investigation would give us all the best answer as to why Darcy was at my home that night, but she got in using the keypad lock code. She received the code from an earlier visit she made while I was out of town and I hadn't changed it afterwards. It has since been changed, though. My team and I have also taken additional  measures to increase the security on the premises and our security protocol overall."

"Jordan, was Darcy more than a friend!?"

"Ms. LaRowe was a production assistant on set and all of our interactions prior to this incident had been friendly and professional. I am committed to Alexandra and there's been no point in our relationship where I've been remotely interested in anyone else."

"Alex, were you there when Jordan got shot? If not, how did you get the news?"

Jordan had warned Alex prior to the press conference that if she sat with him, they may ask her questions too. Alex assured him that she could handle questions and wanted to be by his side.

"Yes, I was there and, thankfully, so was Vince, who did a great job of managing the situation, given the circumstances," Alex responded. "I'm grateful that Jordan is going to be fine, and I hope that Ms.LaRowe will have an opportunity to get the help she needs."

"What sort of help are you referring to, Alex, and how is this going to affect your relationship?"

"I'm not a professional and can't recommend anything in particular, but I do hope she has an opportunity to talk with someone about her motives and emotions, at some point. As far as my relationship with Jordan, beyond bringing us closer together, I don't see why anything would change. I love him. Jordan and I are a team. It's that simple."

Jordan was taken aback by Alex's public declaration. Alex was always sweet in private, but she was definitely guarded in the public arena. She had never told him she loved him in public, not even over the phone if she was surrounded by people who could hear. So to hear her say it in front of all those cameras and reporters was a huge surprise.

"When will you be able to get back on set, for D.C. Undercover?" another voice asked.

This time, Jordan's publicist stepped in, "Thankfully, a gunshot wound isn't out of place when it comes to a police drama, so the writers are happy to write his injuries into the script, so long as Jordan is up for it."

Smiling, Jordan said, "I mean, the show must go on, right?" causing everyone in the room to laugh.

Eventually, the press conference was over and Jordan could breath easy again. His manager and publicist insisted it went well and would be well received by the public.