To be well-rested appears to be a foreign concept that she's only just discovered when she wakes up. It is unfamiliar to a woman who normally sets her alarm for seven in the morning after going to sleep sometime on or after one in the morning. With work, her mother's charity, and responsibilities and obligations to her role as first daughter, there was little time for her to actually get a moment to herself –until now. When Erin wakes the next day –a little after noon- the first thing she found herself doing, was wanting to check her phone. She could hear it vibrate after vibrate signifying the constant stream of notifications. Because she stayed at the office so late yesterday, she decided to take the day off –her first day off in three years. Erin rolled over to her side, stretching her limbs before burying the side of her face into her silk pillowcase. She's cocooned by them –her pillows- there were absolutely more pillows than she were willing to count but it was simply overcompensation for the amount of bed space she is unable to fill. Her petite build barely filled half of the unnecessarily huge king-sized bed, but it didn't bother her. It's comfortable; she's comfortable, and she has no desire to move, at least not until the concert tonight. It's been too long since she's had absolutely nothing to do on her schedule. It's been years since she's been able to just lay in bed, no meetings, no conferences, no charity events, no boring state dinners, no trials and most importantly, no being bombarded by the media.
That blissful –unoccupied- moment can only last for so long because the constant stream of notifications continues to vibrate her phone against the rodeo oak styled nightstand. It's overwhelming to see the endless amount of notifications –emails, social media alerts, text messages, and voicemails. While it seems her day off may not be so uneventful and relaxing, she does find solace in the direct message notification of her social media app. She overlooks every message, every alert from all her social media accounts, knowing most of them were followers who are tagging her in a photo they've taken with her, they've drawn of her, they've seen of her or a message giving an opinion about her to click on the direct, private message sent from him hours ago. She felt that pull towards it. Her curiosity on whether or not Jay had responded was at its highest peak. And Jay did not disappoint; he had responded to her last message that complimented the very enchanting picture of him that she received late –or early- this morning. She flushes the phone against her chest after reading his message, Good Morning, -JH
What is happening to her? She met this guy yesterday and she's already turning into a big ball of mush. The constant pitter patter of her pulsating heart is a new feeling for her; she has gone on plenty of dates in the past, but for some reason this one –even though she hasn't been on it yet- felt different. Jay wasn't a politician, wasn't an attorney, he wasn't in law enforcement and he wasn't the stereotypical guy one would bring home to meet their parents. That was exciting to her. Their first meeting had been interesting and she had definitely assumed she wouldn't see or speak to him again, especially not in person, however, he was bold enough to seek her out, comment on her photo and send her a private message. She honestly cannot remember the last time she stayed up until three in the morning for good conversation, yes, she had work to do, but messaging him made it less painful to accomplish.
All through their late night conversation and until this moment, this afternoon, Erin was enthralled with the same rush; she's excited to see where tonight takes her, she's looking forward to hear his voice live, singing to thousands in an arena and she's anticipating the break away from work and duties. She was looking forward to tonight. She was looking forward to seeing him perform. She was looking forward to whatever the night had to offer. Erin sighs, pulling the phone away from her chest, she reads the remainder of his message, I notified security of your intent to attend; when you get here, go through the back entrance, it's safer and there's much less people, -JH
How considerate of you, -EV
It's amazing just how easily they fall back into conversation. She's lying in the bed and he's at work. She flushes her phone back against her chest and sighs; she felt like a high school girl with a crush. In all honesty, she can't even remember the last time she went on a date. Even though they didn't technically term it a date, and he wouldn't be with her officially because he'll be on stage, but he did invite her to his concert and that was saying a lot, she knew enough about him to know his reputation and the fact that he didn't invite anyone to his concert, especially not a potential interest was huge. It was bigger than she cared to admit. Erin hated to admit it, but she googled him the night before –after the state dinner- and she learned some interesting things about him and some unlikeable things about his reputation, but being in the spotlight herself, Erin knew that every piece of information gained from the internet has to be taken warily. You can't trust everything you hear and read; she knows firsthand that big stories cost big bucks and if a picture appeared to support the story, then the price increased even more.
When her phone vibrates against her chest, she pulls it away, a light smile appearing on her lips as she reads his response, It's one of my best qualities, -JH, he's so full of himself, but she kind of likes it; she likes his confidence and his self-assurance. And he was awake, which was unsurprising since he sent her a good morning post in the wee hours of the morning, she was more surprised that he was even functioning after most likely getting no more than four hours of sleep; another message of his comes through seconds later interrupting her thoughts, Just some updates for tonight; I won't be able to see you until after the show, security will show you to an empty skybox to watch. I reserved it just for you. No one knows you're coming, -JH
Trying to keep me a secret, I see, -EV
I'm just trying to look out for you, -JH
That's sweet, but you do know that there are people literally paid to do that job, right? –EV
It doesn't mean I won't enjoy the pleasure in doing it myself, -JH
Erin sits up straight, using the headboard of her king-sized bed to prop her up. Her hair is wild and untamed but she's unbothered by it. Instead, she swoons, lights up into an even bigger smile and types out her reply, That's very kind of you, -EV
And to be honest, if people knew you were attending my concert, you'll just steal the attention away from me, -JH
Erin raised a brow: And here I thought it was because you wanted me all to yourself, -EV
Three gray dots float through the bottom of the messaging screen as she patiently waits for his response. She's eager to see what he has to say as their casual conversation begins to turn into its usual flirty banter. As she anxiously waits to see what he says, she goes to her text messages, ignoring the endless messages from her father's campaign manager, the political party's department head, one of her coworkers and even the messages from her mother and brother. She was off today and that meant no work or duties; she deserved this. And after scrolling through the list of texts, she spots one from Atwater sent at seven in the morning; it was basically an update, informing her that they were on the job. Even though she told them –practically forced them- to spend the night since they didn't get back to her place until almost four in the morning, they still managed to start on time.
On late nights, they spent the night; Erin had more than enough room inside of her high-rise condo. She lived on the highest floor, owning the six bedrooms and four bathroom level of the condo with immediate access to the roof. She preferred it when they stayed the night; it always made her feel a little less lonely and a little more safe knowing they were down the hallway from where she slept. Even though they didn't live there and they went home most nights, they always knew the offer was there if they needed a place to stay. What kind of parent gifted their child with a six bedroom high-rise after graduating from law school anyway? She honestly didn't know. Her friends had received trips abroad, cars and a few bucks of cash, but her parents, no, they steered clear of the traditional graduation gifts and gave her a freaking condo big enough to house the students at her alma mater.
Erin grips her hand around her cell and crawls out of her bed, so far there had been no response from Jay but she was distracted from his lack of response by the sound of banter coming from outside her bedroom. Even though her guys were on duty, technically that wasn't done from inside the house; when they kept guard, it was protocol that they stand in the hallway, near the elevator. She didn't understand why she heard their voices out there, especially after Atwater sent her a text that they started their shift. And no one could get to her floor without access to her elevator, so whoever it was out there, she must have known them. It was protocol that when she arrives home, they'll have to check her place for any intruders. If someone was here since yesterday, they would have found them and most likely arrested them. She didn't particularly care how she looked; it was her day off and she was inside of her home, she deserved to look a little rough around the edges. Her hair is untamed, her shorts stop at her upper thigh and her tank top must have shrunk in the wash because the fabric now ends just below her belly button and it's tight, but remains to be comfortable.
The only reason she continues to hold her cell is to await the inevitable message she knows will be coming soon. She walks across the pearly white carpet in her bedroom on her quest to the door and when she opens it up, the voice is much clearer and a lot more obvious. She doesn't know how she didn't recognize the sound of her own mother's voice, especially as it barks at her guys. As she walks barefoot through her apartment, phone clenched in her hand and face covered in irritation, she picks up on her mother's words, berating her guys for apparently failing to perform one of their roles and because she's the first lady and their boss, they have to listen and take it, but she doesn't. Erin slams her phone down onto the white shelf beneath her mounted television; the hard impact of her phone slamming against the ledge captures everyone's attention and renders her mother speechless, "It's," Camille takes a quick glance at her watch, "its 1:30 in the afternoon Erin and you're just getting out of bed. Are you okay? Are you sick?"
Erin rolls her eyes, "Why were you scolding them?"
"I wasn't," Camille appears to be confused, "I was just stressing to them the importance of your safety. Erin, you need to make sure they're doing their jobs because when they're doing what they're supposed to do, then you'll always remain safe. My guards are out there right now doing the job of yours. When I got here, no one was outside your front door. Your door was unlocked and I came inside to see Dawson coming out of the restroom, Atwater pouring himself something to drink, Sorensen taking a personal phone call and Roman," she glances around, "where is Roman?"
"I'm right here ma'am," he exited another guest bathroom.
"You guys can go back to your posts."
Erin gives them each a nod, ensuring each one of them that she wasn't mad or upset. She saw them as friends, friends who just so happen to be paid and assigned to protect her. And sometimes that fine line between guard and friend was blurred. They had the luxury of staying over some nights, when on duty, she told them to use the guest bathrooms instead of venturing downstairs to the lobby in order to use the public restroom, she told them to help themselves to anything in her kitchen, she gave them permission to step away to make a personal phone call if needed and she most definitely gave them the freedom to perform their jobs, she didn't need to shadow or micromanage them. Her guys were the best; they knew what they were doing.
"Mom," Erin takes in her mother's pristine appearance; she was always dressed to impress, "is there a reason you're here? Not that I mind, but we don't have anything planned today."
"First, I want to commend you for a job well done on how you handled that stain on your dress yesterday. I would have never thought to take a selfie with it and putting it out for the world to see but it made you and our family more relatable. It showed we're not perfect, which is perfect," Camille brought a hand up to push her sunglasses on top of her head; "I also came to remind you about our visit to the orphanage tomorrow. We go every year and you know the children will want you to read to them again so come with a good book."
It was that moment that Erin hears her cell vibrate against the shelf. Erin's too eager and fortunately for her, her mother doesn't catch on. She opens the app and notices a response from the person she's been waiting to hear from, Sorry for the late response; we just got finished rehearsing and now we're free until tonight. I must say though…your last message made me realize just how impatient I am, what are you doing right now? Are you free?
Was he asking to see her before the concert? Did he want a pre-date before their supposed official date? If he did, she was down; she was so down for that. But, she couldn't respond right away, her mother snapped her fingers in her face, struggling to bring her attention away from the future and towards the present, "Erin?" she snaps out of it, "Have you heard a word I just said?"
Erin blinks, "Yeah. I heard you. You said something about the orphanage tomorrow."
"What's wrong?"
And Camille Voight's specialty was seeing through her. No matter what Erin said or how she tried to look focused on the conversation, Camille saw through it. Growing up, she could never get away with telling a lie, sneaking out or fooling her mother, but it didn't mean she didn't try, it's just she never succeeded because Camille had saw through it all.
"Nothing's wrong."
"What's on your mind then?"
"Nothing's on my mind."
"If that's what you want to go with sweetheart," Camille backs away from her daughter and turns to walk into the kitchen, "then I'll accept that answer, but just know I'm not falling for it and I'm here whenever you want to tell me what has you blushing, sleeping in until the afternoon and checking your phone every couple of minutes."
Erin is distracted once again, nodding her head as if she's listening when in reality, she's responding back to Jay's message, I'm currently trapped at my place with my mother, I'm sure if you could think of something more interesting to do, such as watch paint dry, then I'll be more inclined to ditch her and hang out with you. That is, if that's where you were going with asking me if I were free, -EV
"Sweetheart," Camille shuts the fridge and looks over her shoulder to see her daughter approach, "you really need to go grocery shopping. If you're going to continue to feed yourself and four grown men," she smirks, alerting her daughter that she did in fact know that Erin allowed them to help themselves to whatever's in her fridge, "then you need actual food. You're either starving yourself or living off of fast food and both aren't healthy."
"I know mom."
"I'll just go grocery shopping for you."
"You don't need to do that," her phone vibrates against her shelf and she smiles.
"I'll buy in bulk."
"You really don't need to do that," Erin is paying no attention to her mother and Camille senses it. She's too busy reading his words off the screen of her phone, Unfortunately, I didn't get to plan anything as interesting as watching paint dry BUT my bandmates and manager left to go sightseeing before the concert and I was just about to order a pizza if you would care to join me, oh and I must say there's a possibility the lead singer and guitarist can give you a backstage tour before everyone starts showing up, -JH
Your bandmates are gone? Did you get rid of them just to see me early, -EV
Possibly, so, are you coming or do I have to spend the few hours before my concert alone? -JH
How can I possibly turn down that offer; give me an hour, -EV
Erin doesn't wait for a response this time; she looks up at her mother to see her staring with the widest grin on her face. She has her purse on her shoulder and sunglasses covering her eyes, "I'm not going to ask because I know you won't tell me but whatever it is, be careful."
"There's nothing to worry about; I'm just going to a concert tonight."
This intrigues Camille; it's obvious by her raised brow, "Is that true? And if my daughter would be kind enough to tell me who will be accompanying her tonight, I would be delighted."
"I'm going alone," technically it wasn't a lie; she's going alone and she's watching it alone.
"Very well," Camille gives a sharp nod of her head, "as long as your guys are going, I won't complain, now, I'm going to do a walk through of your house and make a list of everything you'll need at the grocery store, by the state of your fridge, I wouldn't be surprised if you were running low on toilet paper."
"I'm 26, mom."
Camille shrugs it off, "You're never too old for your mother's help."
"Justin's 24 and have you seen his apartment. Mom that place looks like a tornado went through it" Erin quickly told, hoping the information would send her mother elsewhere.
"I've seen it," Camille clasps her hand over her heart, "and there are even things I won't do. I've called for a cleaning service to go over there this weekend and then afterwards I'll go in and see what he needs, but for right now," she clasps her hands around her daughter's face, "I have to make sure my oldest doesn't wither away. Now, are you running low on tampons?"
-x-
Jay finished off his third cup of coffee; the lack of sleep from last night was definitely starting to get to him. However, he wouldn't change it for anything in the world. How could he? His lack of sleep came from staying up and messaging a beautiful woman. His lack of sleep resulted in a date with the first daughter. He would take that over sleep any day. The effects from only getting four hours of sleep were starting to catch up to him; he had been so busy that there was never a moment for sleep deprivation to set in. His day had started off with phone calls from sponsors, rehearsals in preparation of show time, unnecessary breaks in the middle of the day so Rixton could nurse his hangover and wardrobe changes for Burgess to adjust the remaining inches on their outfits for tonight. And all throughout the busyness of the day, he somehow managed to find the time to message Erin. He withdraws his cell from his pocket and sends off a quick message, Pizza ordered and should be here any second, -JH
A quick glance at the clock in the backroom showed it was already nearing three o'clock; the concert started in three hours. He knew he was playing with fire. He didn't know what he was doing and where all of the back and forth messaging was going to lead, but he was looking forward to finding out. All Jay knew was he needed to be careful; this wasn't just some fan or groupie or even a random girl he met at the bar, this was an affluent woman, a woman who carries the same last name as the current president, a humanitarian, and a woman who is highly regarded in law, philanthropy and advocacy. Jay will never understand how someone like her agreed to go out with the lead singer of a rock band, known for his smooth-talking and charming ways that left a trail of broken hearts behind him. All he knew was her heart was sacred and he needed to be careful with it; if he broke her heart, the whole world would find out.
Jay spent the next few minutes pacing around backstage until his phone vibrated in his hand. A smile brightened his face at the notification he just received. A long look at the screen showed her name and message with a phone number attached, We're about to see each other officially for a date, I think it's about time you have my number. Save it and send me a text with your name; I'll see you in a few minutes, -EV
His reply was almost instantaneous, Saved, and don't forget to go through the back entrance; security is expecting you, -JH
His response was followed by sending her a text of his name, smiling once his iPhone indicates that she read his message. And as he waits for a reply, his phone rings and he picks up, telling the delivery man he's on his way outside to pay for the pizza. The front entrance was blocked off; no one was allowed inside the building until thirty minutes before show time. Jay jogs to the front and pushes open the door, spotting the delivery man leaning against the side of his truck. It would have been nice to just poke his head outside, hand the guy the money, take the pizza and go back inside, but things could never be that simple. Instead, he had to walk to the guy's car and stop for the occasional photo, and once he reached the car, the aroma of the pizza in the box filled his lungs; he was starving. After handing the guy some cash –with a nice tip added- he took a hold of the box, "Excuse me," without responding, he looked, encouraging the woman to continue, "Can we take a photo…together, please?" She's flustered; it's cute.
She wants a picture; he hands his box of pizza back to the delivery man, "The lady wants a photo," he takes her phone and hands it to the delivery man; he approaches her, wrapping his arm around the girl's shoulders. A couple of pictures were taken of the two of them before Jay casually removed his arm. She gave him a flirty smile and normally he would have picked up on the hints she was giving with her body language, but it was obvious how unreceptive he was and he blamed her –Erin Voight, it was her fault. Jay took a hold of his pizza, winked at a few fans hollering his way and when they swooned, he smiled –Jay Halstead still had it.
The door shuts and locks behind him as he carries the pizza box away, climbing the stairs up three flights until he's on the skybox level. His heart is thumping in his chest as time continues to pass; it should be any second now that Erin shows up. He wanted to be ready. Since he moved their date up, he wanted to make this as genuine as possible. Jay continues towards the reserved skybox and groans in frustration when he sees the back entrance security guards, "What are you doing back here?" Jay's heart kicked up a notch; its beating fast as he thinks about Erin patiently waiting in the back alley for someone to let her in, "Erin is going to be here any minute and you guys are supposed to be at the back entrance waiting for her. We can't leave her waiting in an alley; she's the first daughter for Christ sakes! Come on guys, I gave you one job."
"Easy there, tiger," that familiar voice, filled with rasp becomes clear as she steps around the security. Her secret service are lined up protectively behind her, keeping their guards up until they can clear the floor, until then, it wasn't considered safe.
"Wow, aren't you a sight for sore eyes," he whispers astonishingly; he appears to be surprised as he takes in her appearance. Her brunette hair falls around her shoulders in loose curls, hoop earrings hang from her ears, along with a diamond stud pierced in a hole above one hoop. She's pretty casual; she stands in front of him in burgundy flats, black, skinny jeans and a burgundy shirt with his band's logo on the front to match. Her lips drew in his attention; the red lipstick on them earning his focus and when they part, he snaps back into reality, "Sorry guys," he looks to security, "you can go back to your posts now."
"I didn't know what to wear," she spreads her arms open and twirls around in front of him, "So, I went with casual. How do I look?"
"You look," he's remains speechless for a moment in order to choose the adjective, "amazing."
"Thanks."
His eyes continue to take her in and linger upon the burgundy shirt with District 21 written across the front in bold letters, "Not that I'm complaining, but where'd you get the shirt?"
"The gift shop," she looks down at the design, "we walked past it when I came inside and I couldn't resist. The actual shirt I wore is right in here," she holds up her purse and re-positions it on her shoulder, "I couldn't officially support you without wearing something of your band."
"Where'd you change?"
Erin briefly looked at her guys, "There was no one around but the building's security and my guys; they had their backs turned and surrounded me."
The silence that follows her last remark is deafening. Neither knows what to say; it's obvious and awkward. Erin stands there, purse on shoulder and hands stuffed inside the pockets of her leather jacket. Jay nods, accepting her answer and watches her, continually taking in her wardrobe, her red lipstick and her curled hair; she was by the very definition of beautiful and he was lucky enough to put aside his bad boy tendencies –at least for yesterday and today- to be afforded the chance to go out with her. At that thought, he couldn't help but smile and when she gave him an equally big smile in return, he felt that maybe this would turn out all right, maybe it's okay to change, and maybe Will was right, it's time to put that bad boy persona behind him.
This moment, this awkward moment was interrupted by Atwater clearing his throat, earning both his and Erin's attention, "Sorry to interrupt, but where will she be located?"
"Oh that's right," he blushed; he actually, physically blushed in embarrassment as he pulled a set of keys out of his pocket, "This is where you'll be when I'm performing," he approaches and unlocks the entry labeled skybox with a gold-plated reserved sign hanging on the door.
"Guys," Erin looks over her shoulder, reminding them with her tone and her gaze about what they discussed in the car ride over. Erin had reminded them that for all intents and purposes, this is a date, a date that she doesn't want to be shadowed and chaperoned and for that reason, they'll have to remain in the hallway or hang out in the skybox next door.
"We need to check the room first," Roman reminded.
Jay nods, and pushes the door open to allow them to enter. He remains in the hallway with Erin and Sorensen as the remainder of her guards check the room. The box of pizza remains in his hands and as the moment gets closer to where he'll finally be alone with her, his nerves start to take over. It's frustrating. This has never happened to him before; he's usually the one to make others flustered, nervous and uneasy, it's never him on the opposite side.
"Hey," Erin approaches only for Sorensen to step in between them; she sighs but continues to talk anyway, "relax. It's just a first date. And I'm pretty sure you've been on plenty of them."
"Relax? I'm not nervous."
At his pointed look, she gestures towards his right foot, tapping restlessly against the floor. He bashfully smiled, nodding to give in and silently admit that he was nervous. He was on a date with the president's daughter and while it was easy to appear confident and self-assured through social media, it was definitely harder to do so now that she's standing in front of him. Sorensen remains between the two; the lack of expression on his face doesn't intimidate Jay like it's supposed to, he's come across jealous ex-boyfriends, protective fathers and brothers. He didn't get intimidated too often. Sorensen takes a hold of the box of pizza from Jay's hold and hands it over to Erin, "I'm going to have to pat you down."
"Sorry," Erin whispers when she notices the nerves appear on his face again, "it's protocol."
"Open your arms and spread your legs," Sorensen directs just as the remainder of her guys exit the skybox. He takes his time to rub his hands down Jay's arms, legs, pat his back and his front.
The room was cleared and Dawson gave them a nod of approval, "We'll be right outside the room. If you need us, don't hesitate to call for one of us." Erin hands him the pizza box back.
"I know" she smiles, walking through her guards to enter the room, "just spread out some; there's no reason for all of you to stand in one spot. And if you want to go buy food or use the restroom, just go; you don't have to tell me or ask for permission."
Each guard nodded their heads and spaced out, each posted up at different points down the hallway. Erin is the first to enter the room; it's clean, it's exclusive and it's private. She'll have the room all to herself and usually it would make her feel standoffish and alone, but living alone in a six bedroom high-rise condo makes situations like this feel normal. The skybox consisted of a fully stocked bar, a private bathroom and a small seating area. She approached the edge, looking through the tinted window to peer down at the large stage and all the empty seats, "This is a nice view," she looks over her shoulder to see Jay setting down the box of pizza.
"I'm sorry I didn't get you a seat closer; I figured you would want privacy."
"You're right," she briefly turns to face him before looking back out at the view, "I'm not a loner or anything, It's just," Erin thinks of the best way to explain it, "when I put myself out there, people have things to say; they either support my dad or are against him and they aren't afraid of letting me know their personal feelings. This day isn't about them or my dad or work or politics; this day is about us," she smiles and Jay notices it in the reflection of the tinted window.
He smiles. It's nice to know that she's taking this date just as seriously as he's taking it. And without responding to it or drawing more attention towards her shared feelings, he avoids the topic and opens the box of pizza, "I didn't know what you would like so I got half cheese and half pepperoni."
"Can't go wrong with those options," she approaches and collects a paper plate, "For future reference though, I'm not really picky. I'm a big foodie and I can do any topping except for anchovies and pineapples."
And if only he needed another reason to absolutely adore her, he would have it.
Jay follows her over to the couch and watches as she sits first. He remains to be flustered. He's doing everything to keep up his casual and cool demeanor. She didn't appear to be effected by his presence at all, which was kind of unfair, but considering who she was and the type of people she met on a daily basis, he shouldn't be at all surprised. It didn't make it easier for him though; he was a rock star, used to the spotlight but when under her gaze, he felt himself clamming up and nervously wanting to end the date in order to keep some semblance of self-respect. His eyes were staring at the pizza on her plate, avoiding her gaze and further surprising him at how he's reacting. What's wrong with him? Here he was standing, holding his plate of pizza with his throat dry, his shoulders stiff and his palms sweaty while she was relaxed back into her seat, studying him carefully, "I'm glad you asked me out."
It calms his nerves; she knows it, "I am too," he finally finds the nerve to sit down next to her.
His body cushions into the seat and he turns to face her. She bends her legs, turning to face him, and when she sets a comforting hand upon his knee, it draws his attention back to her face, "Now that we've squared that away, you can relax. I'm just Erin; we left the titles outside."
"I'm usually not like this," he angles his body towards hers.
"I'm not surprised; I usually have that affect around guys."
Jay's brow rises, "You're pretty confident, huh?"
"You can say that," she whispers before finally taking a bite of her pizza slice.
They take the time to silently eat their slices of pizza, sharing smiles and lingering looks as they fill their empty bellies. It's quiet in the room but for the first time, the silence doesn't feel awkward. It's a date and it's starting to feel like one as he finishes off his pizza and decides to make the first move towards getting to know her.
"I want to know about you," he admits, setting his plate down on the table in front of him, "it can be about anything related to you."
Erin looked a little uncertain, "I'm not that interesting."
"For some reason I find that hard to believe," he makes a bold move and reaches out to take her hand, encouraging her to share.
She felt him rubbing soothing circles over her knuckles, "What do you want to know?"
"Tell me about the life of Ms. Erin Voight."
"I've been in the limelight my whole life," she shares, using her free hand to set her empty plate down, "You would think I would be used to it but it gets old fast. See? Not that interesting…"
"Details Ms. Voight," he urges.
Erin twirls one of her curls as she sorts assiduously through her memories, "My dad wasn't always into politics. He used to be a sergeant but when my mom got pregnant, he decided on a safer profession; he ran for office and became the governor of Illinois a month after I was born."
"Is that why he's called the sergeant?"
"Pardon," she's confused as she releases the curl from around her finger.
"When we first met, you said his secret service codename is the sergeant…"
She's surprised by his response, "You remembered that?"
"It's no big deal," he shrugs it off.
For her, it was though. It was the little things, the little mentions that she found sweet. He remembered. Erin scooted forward, adjusting her hand and opening her fingers to allow his to intertwine with hers. She's bolder now; she's more relaxed as she continues to share a portion of her life with him.
"My brother; he's two years younger than me, but he's made the spotlight bearable. He can drive me crazy sometimes but I wouldn't trade him for anything in the world. He was born when I was two so I literally can't remember a moment in my life without him. He's been the rebel-"
"Hence his codename," he adds, earning a genuine smile on her face.
"Correct. It's just, when I was a teenager; I acted out…a lot. I gave my parents headaches, I kept them up at night worrying and it was honestly up for debate whether or not I would actually, for lack of a better way to say this, but do something with my life, become someone they can be proud of and I did, but Justin, his rebellious stage came later; he's going through it now and my parents have practically given up on him. They want him to mature because they figure he's too old to be a rebel and I feel bad for him because of that."
Jay's considered a bad boy; he's termed himself that, his family, friends and the media did too. If they felt their own son was too old to be enjoying the quirks of life, then what would they think of a 28 year old doing the same? He swallows his fear of the future and focuses on the present.
"Anyway, you probably didn't want to hear all about my relationship with my brother-"
"I want to hear anything you want to tell me."
She genuinely smiles again, "When I was four, my dad was re-elected as governor and then became the state senator when I was eight. He served his whole term and you're probably already aware that he became vice president afterwards. I was 14 then and I absolutely hated it."
"How come?"
"We had to move," she simply added, "I left all my friends. I left my home, my school and my city all behind to come here. I was put in some preppy, private academy and I hated that too. It did eventually grow on me though; I met friends, I got my first boyfriend, I got to see the world in an entirely different perspective and I visited some of the most beautiful places. And then after those eight years, my dad made the decision to run for president when I was 22 and was officially elected when I was 23. I've been the president's daughter since, and now here we are."
"If all of that led you to this moment, then I'm happy for it."
Erin makes the next move; she reaches out her free hand to take a hold of his other one. She scoots closer, legs crisscrossed on the couch as she faces him comfortably, "Enough about me, I want to know about you Mr. Halstead."
"What aspect of my life would you like to know about?"
"Since I'm at your concert and I'll be seeing you perform on stage soon, tell me about your bandmates. I want to know about the other guys gracing the stage with you."
"Sounds good," he nods, sorting through his bandmates to figure out which one he should mention first; he'll start with the least complicated one, "there's Mouse, well that's what we call him," he clarified when a confused expression crossed her face, "his real name is Greg; he'll be the guy on the bass guitar. Mouse is probably the one with the kindest heart; he wants to make a difference. He makes large donations to your mother's charity at least twice a year in hopes of one day his sizable donations earn him a chance to meet you."
"That's sweet of him," Erin brushes her thumbs lightly over his knuckles.
"Yeah well, part of it is because he has a crush on you."
Her brows rise, "Is that so?"
"I think it's going on 11 years now; I can't really blame him though."
"So, how would he take this," she withdraws one of her hands from his and gestures between the two of them, "is that part of the reason why I'm not meeting him or any of your bandmates? I don't want to cause any problems Jay. I like you, but-"
"Hey," he interrupts; it's his turn to calm her worries, "that's not the reason you're not meeting them. I kind of want to keep you to myself; I don't want everyone in my business, in my personal life," he smiles when she smiles, "and I like you too."
Erin withdraws her other hand from his and brings her fingers up to rub her temples, "I just don't want to come between you and your friend."
"You won't," he scoots closer, pulling her hand back into his, "trust me; Mouse is cool and yes he has a crush but it's not as big as the crush I have on you," her eyes brighten, "his is strictly platonic; he thinks you're a gorgeous woman with a heart of gold and he probably would love to see the world through your eyes and become a friend and while I agree, I hope this date shows the potential we have to be so much more."
The beat of Erin's heart increased; this day was going better than expected. The man who sat in front of her, facing her, was not the man the media described in the articles she found online. He appeared to be someone else, someone different and someone she could honestly see herself with in the future. She reached out a careful hand, going slow enough and studying his face for any signs of discomfort, but there was no obvious sign, he remained perfectly still as her hand ran through the back of his hair and then around to cup his cheek, "I hope so too."
It becomes apparent where she wants this moment to lead; she knows it and he knows it too. He has no objections to it as he leans forward to close the unwanted distance between their lips. There's a hesitance between them, their eyes staring into the other to get another act of approval before their lips are sealed against each other. And it wasn't long after that momentary pause before Jay closed the gap between their mouths. With each second that passed during their kiss, he could feel her resolve slipping away beneath the weight of his lips. Each teasing swipe of her tongue had Jay yearning for more, pulling her body closer as he opened his mouth to her. His arm wrapped around her waist and shifted her hips slightly, changing the angle with which she was relaxing, so as to move herself even closer to him even as he leans her back. Erin moaned into his mouth, the sound kindling every fiber in his body as he continued to kiss her; the way her legs twisted so effortlessly with his own, some involuntary effort to continually bring themselves closer to each other. His chest is flushed against her own as the back of her head becomes cradled in his hand to cushion her head as it lays against the arm of the couch.
This moment, this unexpected moment shared between two completely different people from two different walks of life merging into one as they share a part of themselves is what will embed itself within them, it's what will forever last in their memories. Even as Erin pats his chest to gently push him from on top of her in order to breathe and cool things a bit, the lingering feeling of their lips moving against the other last. They smile; they're out of breath and gasping delicately for air. Erin sits up just as he moves back, "We got a little ahead of ourselves," as the heat rises to her cheeks, she removes her leather jacket from her arms, "Back to what we were initially talking about, what about your other members?"
"Okay," he's a little disappointed but he doesn't allow it to show, "there's Ruzek; he plays the drums. He's the only one in the band who's off the market. He's married to our wardrobe coordinator; they were high school sweethearts. And I must mention, I think Kim's a bigger fan of yours than Mouse. I'm pretty sure that when you meet her, she'll try to convince you that when you're old enough, you should run for president."
There's a smug grin on her face, "That's kind of her to think I could win but there's absolutely no future in politics for me. I prefer to make a difference during the things I'm doing right now."
"Our manager, Will, is my brother and besides my dad, he's the only family I have left," at his admittance, her posture straightens; her nonverbal cues shift and transform to a melancholic expression as he continues, "my mom died when I was young and my dad, we haven't really gotten along; we're estranged. And you don't have to say you're sorry or give me your sympathies," he asserts before she has the chance, "We can just move the conversation along," and she reads between the lines; the topic of his family was off limits, at least for right now.
"We can talk about whatever you wish."
"And then there's Rixton," he sighs.
It's the look on his face, the exhaustion in his eyes and the crease in his brow that has her interested over what Jay has to say about this specific member of the band. She couldn't guess; his face was unreadable. And before he could formulate the words to respond, he reaches for her hands, "I have a love-hate relationship with the guy. He'll be the one on keyboard. Kenny, you could say is the one that's most like me; we're the ones with the bad reputations, we're the faces of the band. We clash; a lot. It's no secret about my reputation for casual hookups," she swallowed at that; she remembered reading about his bad boy status online and the hopeful feeling she had that it was all false news, and as it turns out, it wasn't, "I'm more safe with them you can say; Rixton's a bit more reckless. He was engaged once before to a retired politician's daughter; she left him for a surgeon a few days before the wedding."
"That had to be rough."
Jay slowly nods, struggling to avoid thinking back to that time, "Kenny went on a downward spiral after that. You can say he has major commitment issues but it's more than that; he's against love and he's practically against women, especially those that come from a place of power," he bites his lip, choosing to tell her the whole truth, "and yeah, I'm keeping you away because I want us to enjoy this and try to get to know each other in the hopes that something comes about it, but I also did it-"
"…because you're afraid of what Rixton will think," she finishes his sentence.
"I'm not afraid of what he'll think," he quickly corrects, "I just don't feel like arguing with him, especially because after he went through the breakup, we kind of made a pact; no serious relationships, no dating and no commitments."
"And I'm ruining that," she whispered, putting all of the pieces together.
"This is just our first date."
"But you see the potential for more otherwise meeting your bandmates wouldn't be a problem."
He regretfully nods, "You're very inquisitive."
"It's one of the many reasons I'm good at what I do."
The response he had planned, one jokingly mocking her confidence is interrupted when they hear music playing and the voices of thousands of people. She rises from her seat first and he follows closely behind her as she heads over to the edge, peering out of the tinted window towards the stage. The instruments are being placed and set up, music is playing to fill the arena and moving bodies appear below as fans excitedly head towards their seats. Time seems to have escaped them; they've talked longer than expected. Erin's palm opened and pressed longingly against the glass, "I was looking forward to that tour," he gently pulls her away from the glass, "but I know that's not going to happen today. Duty calls and you have to go."
"This skybox is reserved; no one knows you're attending so you should be fine."
She wasn't worried about that. And he knew it; he was simply making casual conversation.
Jay pulls his cell from his pocket and unsurprising to him, he discovers a few missed calls and text messages from Will, most likely freaking out and concerned about where Jay had disappeared. He needed to go. And as he walks to the door, he hears her following closely behind, "There's still pizza leftover if you get hungry. There's a microwave over in one of those cabinets if you need to heat it up. The private bathroom is through that door," he points off to the side, "and that's pretty much it; I hope you do enjoy the show," he turns to leave.
"Wait," she reaches out to stop him. And he does heed her call.
Erin walks around him, standing between him and his access to the door. She reaches for his hand, "I just wanted to say break a leg," the smile she offers him reveals those beautiful dimples.
It urges him to lean forward slowly, his intentions glistening in his eyes. It didn't take long for her to know what he wanted. And the best way to let him know was by meeting him halfway, her lips just gently brushing against his. Their kiss was short and sweet, barely anything at all. And yet, it ignited something within him, something he has never once felt before in his life. It's a feeling that has the likelihood of progressing into something more yet with his impending concert only minutes away, he's forced to step back, "I really enjoyed your company today; I want to see you again, maybe take you out somewhere where the media won't find us, somewhere where I don't have to leave in the middle of it."
"I would like that; I would like it a lot."
Jay leans down to kiss her soundly, "Stay after the concert. Don't leave right when it's over. I want to wish you a proper goodnight."
"And all the articles I read said you didn't have a romantic bone in your body."
"So you have read about me."
"If I must admit," she casually shrugs it off.
And he's forced back into reality, forced to pop the bubble that excluded them from the outside world, "I should really be going before the band sends out a search party."
"You're right," her lips come to gently align upon his cheek, "Good luck Jay."
The door opens and she briefly sees her guards before it shut; they remain posted up outside her skybox, appearing to be unbothered by the constant standing they're paid to do. It's a tolerance they built up but Erin still feels bad. She grabs a few foldable chairs and drags them, "Guys," she calls out and almost immediately her guards are entering the room, "Take a chair, grab a slice of pizza and please get comfortable," she practically orders.
"We'll get comfortable in the hallway," Dawson grabs a foldable chair.
"Why the hallway? It's plenty of room in here."
Atwater carries his chair out, "We have to be on guard. We need to be aware if anyone or anything approaches. We won't be much help if we're watching the concert with you."
"I'm good company," she reminds, just as Sorensen reappears after taking his chair into the hall.
"We have no complaints against that, but you must remember Erin, we're your guards first and your friends second," it pains Sorensen to say the words but it was the truth. They were hired to watch her back, protect her and keep her safe. And sometimes that fine line was blurred since they spend more time with her than her actual friends do.
She collects the box of pizza, "Very well," Erin hands it over to Roman, "I'll see you guys when the show is over."
No further words are said as they depart from the room, carrying their chairs and the remainder of the large pizza. She's left alone in a room that's foreign to her. She's practically used to it though, being alone, surrounded by no one. She's 26; she has very few friends, she hasn't dated in forever and her parents were by definition, workaholics. She was used to it, at least she should be used to it, but there's something that remains inside of her that craves companionship.
When she hears the band introduced and the rounds of applause and shouts from fans follow, she knows they've entered onto the stage. She approaches the window, peering outside its tinted screen as Jay goes to the microphone. With the electric guitar around his shoulders, he says a few words to the audience that melts all of their hearts and makes the single women swoon. It doesn't affect her though but what does get to her is the first song his band –District 21- plays; it's something about the beat combined with the lyrics that fills her mind with racing thoughts. This song takes her on a ride when it initially starts slow and picks up in speed. It's this song, it's the first song the band decides to play and she's happy for it; it draws her in and has her looking forward to the remainder of the show. And as the concert goes on, she watches the celebration, the cheers and the love in the audience. It's endearing and while she loved being away from the crowd, a large part of her wanted to be a part of it.
As the band continues to play, she finds herself falling in love with the music. It takes her on a ride, a journey through the minds of the band. She knows most of the songs were written by Jay, she knows it based off the research she did on him late last night –or extremely early this morning- and she knows by the interviews she watched that he lost himself in his music. It served as an escape. Erin watched him own the stage; he embraced the crowd along with his bandmates as they performed song after song, each one better than the last.
Each song played upon a different chord, brought about a different mood that earned varying reactions from the audience. Some jumped up and down, some screamed out their favorite band members' names, some held up signs expressing their love for each member and one lady in particular managed to take her bra off and throw it onto the stage, screaming excitedly when it landed at Jay's feet. It isn't until Jay lifts it up that Erin quirk her brows. He carries the undergarment off stage and she suddenly realizes that it's already intermission.
Erin heads towards the couch, retaking her seat on the uncomfortable cushion when she feels her phone vibrate in her pocket. It's a text message from Jay.
What do you think so far? –JH
You were great, better than great actually, you were amazing, -EV
It's obvious she's rubbing his ego, but she says nothing that's not true. This was the first, the only concert she's ever attended. She's wanted to come to one for years but she never found the time. And now that she's here, she realizes just how much she missed out.
That means a lot coming from you, -JH
Her response is of a different subject matter, I'm curious to know though, what happened to her bra, -EV
I give them to Kim and I have no idea what she does with them, -JH
Erin doesn't get a moment to respond back, just when she's typing her follow up reply, there's a soft knock at the door and Jay dips inside after alerting her of his presence. She wasn't expecting to see him until after the show, but his appearance is definitely a welcomed surprise. Erin stands, before casually walking over to meet him halfway, "According to that countdown on the screen, intermission ends in eight minutes."
"And I'll be back by then," he confidently asserts, "but I didn't sneak off to be reminded that I'm currently on a schedule. I got away to pay you a visit."
"You have to tell me how it feels to be on that stage," her voiced is filled with a childlike excitement as her eyes are wide in wonder and astonishment; she rushes over to the tinted window and stares at the flutter of movement down below.
Jay stands beside her, peering down at the sitting fans below. It's a tinted window, perfect for looking out but difficult and next to impossible to look in. She sits high above the crowd, angled towards the stage and he occasionally glances up to check the countdown –six minutes.
"When you're up there," they both stare down at the stage, "you get a rush. When the crowd is cheering, screaming your name and singing along to your music, that feeling you get is indescribable. It's a rush of adrenaline. I feel like a completely different person up there; no reputation to change or uphold, no paparazzi, no press, no worries. I'm just me."
"It's nice how you talk about performing. There's a fire in your eyes that shines when you talk about it," she turns, leaning against the inside railing to face him, "It's refreshing."
"I'm happy you came."
And before she has the opportunity to respond, she feels him wrap his arms around her waist and pull her against him, preparing to give her some sort of a hug when he realizes what he's done.
"I'm sorry for being so," he struggles to think of the right word, "forceful." He removes his arm.
"Its fine," she reassures, moving closer towards him, "you're just happy. And I kind of liked it," she's mere inches away, practically flushed against him except for the few inches of space between them; she reaches for his arm and circles it back around her waist, "See," she looks up at him and smiles, "I won't break."
Since kissing her the first two times, it's been all he could think of doing. It has felt like forever since he kissed her and with three minutes left on the clock, he knew that if he wanted another kiss before hitting the stage, now was the time. However, she was one step ahead of him, already rising to the tip of her toes to press the gentlest of kisses against his lips. It's soft. It's teasing. And when she draws away, leaning her forehead against his, it leaves him wanting more.
"You have to go."
He sighs, "Remember, don't leave."
"I won't," she promises, squeezing his upper arm reassuringly.
Jay steps back, takes one glance at the clock and realizes that he'll have to run back. It's less than a minute left and he's out the door quicker than she can process it. She's left standing, reminding herself that this was only their first date, yet she felt this strong attraction towards him. She's been on plenty of dates, but none of them got a kiss or their hand held on the first one. Yet, here she is, standing in a skybox alone after kissing a rock star for the third time in one day.
Her thoughts are interrupted once more when she hears the loud cheering, screaming and hysterical crying filling the arena from the fans. The band is back on and they pick up right where they left off. The music continues to be intense; the performers own the stage, entertain the crowd and play the strings or the keys of their instruments. The fans are jumping, pounding their fists in the air as they sing along to the last song. Erin doesn't know when she'll be able to make it to another concert; she didn't know whether she'll ever be invited to another concert, so she embraces this song to the fullest. She pictures herself in the crowd, she jumps up and down, and she bobs her head to the beat of the music, allowing her loose curls to swing wildly around as the beat of the song increases. This was probably her favorite song of the night. She definitely needed to learn the lyrics to his music.
This night had been epic, and even though she was alone for some of it, this date was well deserving of a second one. She stood above the crowd, hidden in a skybox behind a tinted glass, watching as the fans dispersed from the arena. She felt a pull to be a part of that madness but another part of her appreciated the solitude. If she were ever invited to another concert –as his date- she would join the crowd. She would be a part of the real experience. Her security would have to do whatever it is they want to ensure her safety, but she's going to be a part of it. Up front and center, cheering him on in a location where he can perfectly see her.
Her thoughts are once again interrupted when he entered, "You stayed."
She turns around to find him holding two cups of coffee, "I told you I would," Erin met him halfway and thanked him with a smile for the mug of caffeine, "How did you manage to explain leaving with two cups of coffee?"
"You don't have to explain anything if they don't see you."
Before Jay decides to take a sip of his brewed cup, he waits and watches for her reaction. When her lips settle on the mug and tip it back to take the smallest sip, by the immediate scrunched up facial expression, he could tell she didn't prefer it. If she was desperate for the cup, she would have sucked it up and forced herself to drink it, but the strong flavor, not masked by much milk, sugar and cream, was too powerful for her palate. Erin regrettably handed the cup back to him, "It's not that it's horrible, it's just," she admits, setting it down onto the bar top, "coffee has such a strong taste and I love to tone it down as much as possible."
"I still owe you a beverage until I get it right and I will get it right."
"I'm counting on it."
"So," Jay takes a sip of his coffee, "how was our first date? I know it's not the stereotypical first date style that many women dream of but I'm hoping it's something you remember."
"Even though my date dipped in and out, I did have fun."
"Enough fun to agree to go on another date with me?"
She crosses her arms over her chest, "I like you Jay. And I guess it goes to show, you can't believe everything you read online. You already know that I searched you on the internet," he chews upon his lower lip and nods, "and every article I've come across either talks about your career, your sales or your inability to keep it in your pants," her words surprise him but she continues anyway, "You'll find that I'm very forward; I get it from my dad, but Jay before I agree to anything, I must say that when I date, I date with the potential to commit. I don't date to be another notch on someone's bedpost. I like you," she grabs his hand, "I want to go out with you again, but not at the expense of having my name added to the string of broken hearts you leave behind. When my name is in the news or when my face is on magazines, it's either because of a rumor, something great I've done in my professional life or something honorable I've done as the first daughter. Reelection is next year. And what I don't need –and what my father doesn't need- is to see my face on the front of a magazine with an embarrassing headline of how I let myself fall for a known heartbreaker and bad boy."
The hand that holds his opens its fingers to intertwine together. She doesn't withdraw it, she simply tightens her grip. Erin waits for his response; she watches as the wheels turn in his head, he's thinking of the words she said. And he finds himself surprised because he's actually considering them; he's not running for the hills at the thought of a second date, of a real relationship with her. She knew what she wanted and she had no qualms in letting him know it too. It just reminds him about how different she is from the other girls. Most women –he didn't sleep with celebrities or high profile people- but most women settled for whatever he was willing to offer, just the thought that a rich rock star wanted them was enough for them to give themselves over to him, and now he's come across someone different and he found himself liking it.
"I want to go out with you again."
She gives him a smile that is just so genuinely sweet with just the right touch of purity, providing Jay with the guaranteed feeling that he's making the right choice. He can put away his old ways to develop new ones for her. He can do it. He knows he can. It's just going to take a bit of effort on his part. The way her lips lifted up, the way her dimples enhance that beautiful smile of hers, the way her teeth are perfectly aligned, it all contributes to her gorgeous smile; it all assures Jay that he's making the right decision, it'll be worth it.
"Great," Erin continued to hold his hand and she reached for his other, "How long are you supposed to be in D.C.?"
"Two weeks; I have a concert in Annapolis, Maryland this Thursday and another concert in Richmond, Virginia next Friday. I'm free tomorrow though."
"I'm going to an orphanage tomorrow morning and then I have work," her thumbs brush softly over his knuckles, "What about the next day? I can take off from work."
"I can't; I'll be with my manager and the band checking out the concert location in Annapolis. It could last all day if Will decides to throw in a rehearsal. What about the day after that?"
"I'm visiting an elementary school the entire day."
"And I can't do Thursday because of my concert."
"We'll figure this out."
"Your schedule is most likely fuller than mine, so how about you tell me all the days you're free?"
"I can take a half a day on Friday."
"I don't want to interfere with your work."
"That's not a problem," she assures him, tightening her hold on his hands, "while you're at your concert the night before, I'll just work a little later."
"I thought you promised your guards that you'll get off at a reasonable hour for the next few weeks."
She smirked, "True, but that doesn't mean I can't work from home."
"So Friday?"
Their hands separate as she nods adamantly, "Friday it is."
And there it is; it's official, the first daughter and the rock star will be going on a second date on Friday.
