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I Would Remember Something Like That, Part 2
By Ginger
Having donned a silk robe, Parker stood over Jarod with a very tall glass of very cold water. He lay sprawled on the ugly lime green vinyl sofa taking up nearly half of the *deluxe* private dressing room she was granted as the evening's main attraction.
"I'm awfully sorry, Miss Starr," apologized the doorman as he stood beside her, more or less occupying the other half of the room and looking miserable. "I didn't realize he was a... a friend of yours. He didn't mention it at the door."
"Don't worry about it, Tiny," Parker offered amiably. "You were just doing your job, and Jarod never has been able to reconcile himself to my chosen profession, which is the reason he's my ex... well, *one* reason, anyway."
The man in question groaned and Parker raised an eyebrow, a look of faint amusement gracing her lips as she observed, "Looks like *Sleeping Beauty's* starting to wake. I think I can handle it from here. You'd better get back to your post. And thanks again for bringing him in here."
"Are you sure you don't want me to stick around? I could hang out in the hallway for a little while... just in case."
"Not necessary. He'd sooner die than hurt me," she replied confidently, noting to herself how easy this all was if one stuck closely to the truth.
"Well... okay, Miss Starr." Tiny didn't sound entirely convinced.
"Please let the manager know that I'll be in touch tomorrow to settle this mess. Obviously, I don't expect to be paid for the second show given the circumstances. Fortunately, there doesn't appear to be any property damage. I just hope the club is able to smooth things over with the guys Jarod manhandled. And, please, do convey my sincerest apologies to the entire staff."
"Will do, Miss Starr, but don't trouble yourself about it too much. In my experience, men usually find it less than worth their while to launch legal proceedings against an establishment of this kind. More often than not there's a wife or girlfriend somewhere who has no idea they've ever been in here, but I'm sure that's hardly news to a seasoned professional like yourself."
"Hardly," she replied, rolling her eyes.
"The manager will promise to take extra good care of them on their next visit and that usually does the trick. Guys love it because they can act like big shots in front of their friends. This isn't the first time we've had an *incident* involving a jealous boyfriend, ex or otherwise, and I'd be willing to bet a week's salary that it won't be the last. Hazard of the business, I guess. Men..." he tacked with a weary sigh.
"Indeed," Parker concurred, smiling graciously as she moved around him to get to the door.
Casting one last wary look at the unmoving heap on the sofa, Tiny bid her adieu with a nod as he gingerly backed through the doorway that barely accommodated him. Parker closed the door then turned to face the man who had, yet again, succeeded in creating chaos where there had once been order.
Only this time, he'd made a complete ass of himself in the process and, once the initial shock had worn off and Parker was able to regain control of the situation, it had occurred to her that she was faced with a golden, perhaps once-in-a-lifetime, opportunity. And she had every intention of seizing it. She ambled back to the sofa and gazed down upon him, musing:
*Here we are, Jarod, alone at last, and what an interesting turn of events.*
Jarod wore a tight-fitting forest green crew neck shirt that perfectly set off his darkly handsome features under a short black leather jacket that clung to his body as though he'd been born wearing it. His blue jeans were faded to a condition it would have taken several years longer to achieve than he'd actually been out in the world.
*How on earth do you manage acquire such things? Clearly you were armed and ready to charm your way through the evening... you little shit.*
Setting her jaw, she lifted and tipped the glass, emptying its contents over Jarod's face.
"Hey!" he yelped, his eyes snapping open. "I'm *not* unconscious!"
"I know," she responded icily, doing her best to contain the broad grin that threatened to break out at any moment. "That's what you get for playing possum."
Wincing, he rose stiffly into a seated position and placed his feet on the floor. Rubbing his tender jaw with one hand and the back of his neck with the other, he glanced sheepishly up at her through his absurdly thick eyelashes. He appeared wracked with guilt and thoroughly humiliated, and she thought it quite possibly the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen.
"How long were you really out?" she inquired, cocking an eyebrow at him.
"Not long," he answered, averting his eyes. "Just a minute or two, but since I thought there was something particularly undignified about waking up in the arms of a 400 pound man named Tiny, I decided to lie low until I was no longer in the company of your ironically-named colleague."
In an attempt to stifle a giggle, Parker emitted a small snort. Jarod jerked his head up to glare at her then groaned, wincing as he was reminded of his injury.
"You're enjoying this!" he accused, looking profoundly miserable as he resumed rubbing the back of his neck.
*Damn right I am!*
"Oh, really," she challenged, putting on her best righteous indignation. "If I hadn't thought quickly, you would be in jail right now. They don't take any bullshit here; it's company policy. Now, what if the Centre got wind of your incareration? And what if it led them back here and they somehow managed to figure out the connection to *Miss Starr?* What then? What the hell *were* you thinking, Jarod?"
"Well, clearly..." He paused, frowning. "I wasn't."
"Clearly," she repeated with an exasperated sigh.
"But I could ask you the same question, Miss..." A hint of the usual taunting tone appeared in his voice as he continued, "*Starr.* What on earth are *you* doing here... doing..." The self-assurance quickly evaporated, as he looked away again and added, "this?"
"Oh, didn't you know? I've decided to earn a few extra bucks on the side by adorning myself like a float in the Macy's Parade and prancing around in front of a bunch of horny strangers. What do you *think* I'm doing here, genius?"
He met her eyes again and stated, "You're looking for Ethan too."
"Ya think?" she asked, shaking her head incredulously then glancing heavenward.
He expelled a dejected sigh and offered softly, "I guess I owe you an apology and a thank you. They seem to have bought that story you peddled, and it's probably saved me a heap of trouble."
*Yeah, that whole jealousy thing was *such* a stretch, I can't *believe* they actually bought it!*
"Don't get too carried away, Jarod. My motives were not entirely altruistic. I'm not *exactly* who I claim to be either."
"You could've fooled me," he muttered under his breath, while looking as though he very much wished he were still unconscious or, better yet, dead.
"Excuse me?" She had heard every syllable but couldn't resist twisting the knife a little.
Startled, he replied, "Um, nothing... I mean, I was wondering... Were you able to find out anything... about Ethan?"
"Yes, but I'd rather not discuss it now. I don't know about you, but I'd prefer to get the hell out of here before my cover is blown."
"Well then," Jarod said as he began to rise from his seat. "I'll leave you to get changed while I..."
"Oh no you don't!" she declared, shoving him back into his seat with a firm hand to his shoulder. Foisting the empty glass at him, she warned, "I would strongly advise against leaving this room without me by your side. We should go out the back way together."
"But?" He nodded at her attire, or rather her lack thereof.
"I guess you'll have to close your eyes while I dress. And I'm warning you, Jarod, I'll be watching you the entire time. If even one of your eyelids so much as twitches, you're a dead man."
He nodded slowly and swallowed hard before squeezing his eyes tightly shut. Parker leaned forward a bit to study his face, so handsome despite the slightly pained expression and the nasty bruise that had already formed on his jawline. She smiled then turned to retrieve her street clothing and began to dress, keeping a watchful eye trained on Jarod the entire time, as promised.
When she was dressed, Parker waited a moment - or two - before saying anything. She reveled in the sight of him stranded uncomfortably on the horrid lime green vinyl sofa and clutching the glass so tightly that all the color had drained from his knuckles. She bit her lip to keep from chuckling with glee.
"Okay, Wonderboy, you can open your eyes," Parker announced as she stood waiting by the door.
Jarod complied, blinking up at her like like a small, furry mammal... a stunned, small, furry mammal.
"You can follow me or we can just take my car if you don't feel well enough to drive," she offered casually.
"Huh?"
Perhaps small, furry mammal was too high on the food chain.
Shaking her head, she explained, "To my place, genius. I'm staying in a nice little bungalow, not far from here."
"Um... I..."
"Well? Are we leaving *today* or not?" she barked impatiently then turned, opened the door, and stepped into the hallway. Hearing him scurry after her, she called over her shoulder,
"And leave the glass!"
Parker couldn't contain her smirk when she heard muttered swearing and the sound of Jarod scampering back into the room.
*Idiot.*
# # # #
I Would Remember Something Like That, Part 2
By Ginger
Having donned a silk robe, Parker stood over Jarod with a very tall glass of very cold water. He lay sprawled on the ugly lime green vinyl sofa taking up nearly half of the *deluxe* private dressing room she was granted as the evening's main attraction.
"I'm awfully sorry, Miss Starr," apologized the doorman as he stood beside her, more or less occupying the other half of the room and looking miserable. "I didn't realize he was a... a friend of yours. He didn't mention it at the door."
"Don't worry about it, Tiny," Parker offered amiably. "You were just doing your job, and Jarod never has been able to reconcile himself to my chosen profession, which is the reason he's my ex... well, *one* reason, anyway."
The man in question groaned and Parker raised an eyebrow, a look of faint amusement gracing her lips as she observed, "Looks like *Sleeping Beauty's* starting to wake. I think I can handle it from here. You'd better get back to your post. And thanks again for bringing him in here."
"Are you sure you don't want me to stick around? I could hang out in the hallway for a little while... just in case."
"Not necessary. He'd sooner die than hurt me," she replied confidently, noting to herself how easy this all was if one stuck closely to the truth.
"Well... okay, Miss Starr." Tiny didn't sound entirely convinced.
"Please let the manager know that I'll be in touch tomorrow to settle this mess. Obviously, I don't expect to be paid for the second show given the circumstances. Fortunately, there doesn't appear to be any property damage. I just hope the club is able to smooth things over with the guys Jarod manhandled. And, please, do convey my sincerest apologies to the entire staff."
"Will do, Miss Starr, but don't trouble yourself about it too much. In my experience, men usually find it less than worth their while to launch legal proceedings against an establishment of this kind. More often than not there's a wife or girlfriend somewhere who has no idea they've ever been in here, but I'm sure that's hardly news to a seasoned professional like yourself."
"Hardly," she replied, rolling her eyes.
"The manager will promise to take extra good care of them on their next visit and that usually does the trick. Guys love it because they can act like big shots in front of their friends. This isn't the first time we've had an *incident* involving a jealous boyfriend, ex or otherwise, and I'd be willing to bet a week's salary that it won't be the last. Hazard of the business, I guess. Men..." he tacked with a weary sigh.
"Indeed," Parker concurred, smiling graciously as she moved around him to get to the door.
Casting one last wary look at the unmoving heap on the sofa, Tiny bid her adieu with a nod as he gingerly backed through the doorway that barely accommodated him. Parker closed the door then turned to face the man who had, yet again, succeeded in creating chaos where there had once been order.
Only this time, he'd made a complete ass of himself in the process and, once the initial shock had worn off and Parker was able to regain control of the situation, it had occurred to her that she was faced with a golden, perhaps once-in-a-lifetime, opportunity. And she had every intention of seizing it. She ambled back to the sofa and gazed down upon him, musing:
*Here we are, Jarod, alone at last, and what an interesting turn of events.*
Jarod wore a tight-fitting forest green crew neck shirt that perfectly set off his darkly handsome features under a short black leather jacket that clung to his body as though he'd been born wearing it. His blue jeans were faded to a condition it would have taken several years longer to achieve than he'd actually been out in the world.
*How on earth do you manage acquire such things? Clearly you were armed and ready to charm your way through the evening... you little shit.*
Setting her jaw, she lifted and tipped the glass, emptying its contents over Jarod's face.
"Hey!" he yelped, his eyes snapping open. "I'm *not* unconscious!"
"I know," she responded icily, doing her best to contain the broad grin that threatened to break out at any moment. "That's what you get for playing possum."
Wincing, he rose stiffly into a seated position and placed his feet on the floor. Rubbing his tender jaw with one hand and the back of his neck with the other, he glanced sheepishly up at her through his absurdly thick eyelashes. He appeared wracked with guilt and thoroughly humiliated, and she thought it quite possibly the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen.
"How long were you really out?" she inquired, cocking an eyebrow at him.
"Not long," he answered, averting his eyes. "Just a minute or two, but since I thought there was something particularly undignified about waking up in the arms of a 400 pound man named Tiny, I decided to lie low until I was no longer in the company of your ironically-named colleague."
In an attempt to stifle a giggle, Parker emitted a small snort. Jarod jerked his head up to glare at her then groaned, wincing as he was reminded of his injury.
"You're enjoying this!" he accused, looking profoundly miserable as he resumed rubbing the back of his neck.
*Damn right I am!*
"Oh, really," she challenged, putting on her best righteous indignation. "If I hadn't thought quickly, you would be in jail right now. They don't take any bullshit here; it's company policy. Now, what if the Centre got wind of your incareration? And what if it led them back here and they somehow managed to figure out the connection to *Miss Starr?* What then? What the hell *were* you thinking, Jarod?"
"Well, clearly..." He paused, frowning. "I wasn't."
"Clearly," she repeated with an exasperated sigh.
"But I could ask you the same question, Miss..." A hint of the usual taunting tone appeared in his voice as he continued, "*Starr.* What on earth are *you* doing here... doing..." The self-assurance quickly evaporated, as he looked away again and added, "this?"
"Oh, didn't you know? I've decided to earn a few extra bucks on the side by adorning myself like a float in the Macy's Parade and prancing around in front of a bunch of horny strangers. What do you *think* I'm doing here, genius?"
He met her eyes again and stated, "You're looking for Ethan too."
"Ya think?" she asked, shaking her head incredulously then glancing heavenward.
He expelled a dejected sigh and offered softly, "I guess I owe you an apology and a thank you. They seem to have bought that story you peddled, and it's probably saved me a heap of trouble."
*Yeah, that whole jealousy thing was *such* a stretch, I can't *believe* they actually bought it!*
"Don't get too carried away, Jarod. My motives were not entirely altruistic. I'm not *exactly* who I claim to be either."
"You could've fooled me," he muttered under his breath, while looking as though he very much wished he were still unconscious or, better yet, dead.
"Excuse me?" She had heard every syllable but couldn't resist twisting the knife a little.
Startled, he replied, "Um, nothing... I mean, I was wondering... Were you able to find out anything... about Ethan?"
"Yes, but I'd rather not discuss it now. I don't know about you, but I'd prefer to get the hell out of here before my cover is blown."
"Well then," Jarod said as he began to rise from his seat. "I'll leave you to get changed while I..."
"Oh no you don't!" she declared, shoving him back into his seat with a firm hand to his shoulder. Foisting the empty glass at him, she warned, "I would strongly advise against leaving this room without me by your side. We should go out the back way together."
"But?" He nodded at her attire, or rather her lack thereof.
"I guess you'll have to close your eyes while I dress. And I'm warning you, Jarod, I'll be watching you the entire time. If even one of your eyelids so much as twitches, you're a dead man."
He nodded slowly and swallowed hard before squeezing his eyes tightly shut. Parker leaned forward a bit to study his face, so handsome despite the slightly pained expression and the nasty bruise that had already formed on his jawline. She smiled then turned to retrieve her street clothing and began to dress, keeping a watchful eye trained on Jarod the entire time, as promised.
When she was dressed, Parker waited a moment - or two - before saying anything. She reveled in the sight of him stranded uncomfortably on the horrid lime green vinyl sofa and clutching the glass so tightly that all the color had drained from his knuckles. She bit her lip to keep from chuckling with glee.
"Okay, Wonderboy, you can open your eyes," Parker announced as she stood waiting by the door.
Jarod complied, blinking up at her like like a small, furry mammal... a stunned, small, furry mammal.
"You can follow me or we can just take my car if you don't feel well enough to drive," she offered casually.
"Huh?"
Perhaps small, furry mammal was too high on the food chain.
Shaking her head, she explained, "To my place, genius. I'm staying in a nice little bungalow, not far from here."
"Um... I..."
"Well? Are we leaving *today* or not?" she barked impatiently then turned, opened the door, and stepped into the hallway. Hearing him scurry after her, she called over her shoulder,
"And leave the glass!"
Parker couldn't contain her smirk when she heard muttered swearing and the sound of Jarod scampering back into the room.
*Idiot.*
# # # #
