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Chapter 10…
Arden opened the door when she heard knocking. She had just buzzed Jordan up. The moment she opened it, Jordan reached out, pulling her into a tight hug. Arden was surprised at first and unsure of what to do. She only ever hugged Bob or Allison. She hugged back, smiling, "You made it!"
Jordan pulled away, "I did. And you're gonna have to get used to this, I'm a hugger."
"I'll work on it," Arden laughed. "Come in."
She led her new friend into the kitchen, "Do you want anything to drink or eat?"
"Later for that," Jordan waved, sitting on a barstool. "I wanna know exactly what Bob said."
Arden sat on the stool across the island, "He said that he loved the show. They really like the concept and the fan interaction. Vince thought it was great that you used your connections with athletes. They both loved you; on camera and in person. Vince especially."
Jordan covered her mouth with her hands and made a giddy high pitched noise.
"They wanna put a lot of money into marketing it," Arden laughed. "They're working on a time table for when to get started right now. He wants it to be soon."
"This is crazy," Jordan said, running her hands through her hair. "I still can't believe it. I feel like I'm dreaming."
"Believe it," Arden said. "And get ready because your life is about to get a little crazy."
Jordan smiled excitedly, "This calls for champagne. Please tell me you have some."
"It's the middle of the day," Arden laughed, looking over at the clock on the microwave.
"It's not hard liquor dear," Jordan smiled. "Champagne is okay anytime. Besides, I could really use a drink."
"Why aren't you saying anything?" Phil asked Stu, growing anxious. He'd just recounted his morning with Jordan and his friend was just sitting there, leaning back in his chair, not saying a word.
"I'm thinking," Stu answered.
"Thinking about what?"
"It's just that...I always thought you were good with women considering how many of our coworkers you've dated but..that can't possibly be," he smirked.
"Fuck off Stu," Phil gave him the finger.
"I'm serious," the Brit laughed. "I can't believe you just sat there like a mute. What's wrong with you?"
"I told you, I didn't know what to say," Phil shrugged.
"So your plan was to say nothing?" Stu laughed. "You actually thought that would be okay?"
"It wasn't exactly a plan," Phil said, feeling defensive. "She totally blindsided me."
"Well if it makes you feel better your lack of a reaction probably blindsided her," Stu said. "Now you're even."
Phil narrowed his eyes, "You are not helpful."
Stu wasn't exactly an expert on interpersonal relationships. Phil realized maybe he hadn't gone to the best person for advice. He just needed to talk to someone and Colt hadn't answered the phone.
"What exactly would you like for me to say here?" Stu asked.
"I..I don't really know," Phil admitted, running a hand over his hair. "I'm all thrown off."
"Listen, I'm sure she's not some fatal attraction that's coming on the road to boil your rabbit," Stu offered.
"I know that," Phil made a face. "That never crossed my mind."
"Then what's the big deal?"
"It's just that..I was under the impression that we were on the same page. We're both just having fun, no pressure," Phil explained. "Now she lays this on me. What am I supposed to do with that?"
"Wait..did she ever actually say that she was expecting more from you?" Stu asked.
"No," he shook his head. "I told you, she told me about the job and then I froze."
"So what exactly makes you think she does?"
"She's coming on the road with us," Phil reminded his friend.
"For a job. A great opportunity for her career," Stu said. "Not for you, you arrogant prick."
Phil was about to defend himself but for the second time that day, he didn't have any words. Stu was right. Jordan never actually said she was expecting anything. She hadn't even told him any of the specifics of what her new job was. He froze up so fast, she just left. Phil wasn't a self-centered person. He was confident but he was never the type to make everything about him. Until now apparently.
"You're right," he sighed, leaning back against his chair. "How the hell did that happen?"
"I believe you owe me an apology," Stu smiled. "I've been very helpful."
"I know there was someone in there," Beth said, running on the treadmill next to Nattie. She still couldn't get over the conversation she had with Phil that morning. She couldn't believe she actually thought they were turning over a new leaf. She was beginning to think that maybe they could fix things. After talking to Phil, she just felt like an idiot.
"That doesn't make sense," her friend shook her head. "Why would he have flirted with you in London if he was-"
"Screwing someone else?" Beth finished for her. "I don't know."
"Maybe you're wrong," Nat offered. "Maybe-"
"He might as well have confirmed it," Beth insisted. "And he said that I'm making the time we spent together in London more than what it was. He doesn't even realize that he was stringing me along."
"Well whoever it was, maybe it wasn't important," Nattie suggested. "This doesn't necessarily mean you can't still work things out."
"How are we supposed to work things out when there's already someone else?" Beth said. "I just wish I knew who it was."
"Well," Nattie said, slowing her treadmill. "We'll just have to figure it out."
"So we get home, I unlock the door as quietly as possible and we tip toe inside. My dad's not anywhere downstairs so we think we're in the clear," Jordan said. "We practically crawl up the stairs, and I'm trying to stop giggling. And there's my dad, standing at the top of the stairs. Wes nearly pissed his pants. He freaked out and looked at me like this."
Arden nearly spit out her champagne as Jordan tried to recreate the face her brother made. She was telling the story of the first, and only, time they came home drunk from a party in high school.
"So Wes is staring at me and my dad is practically growling at me and I'm completely sauced," Jordan said. "All I could think to do was pretend I passed out. I figured my dad wouldn't scream at me then. So I put my head down on the stairs and closed my eyes."
"That couldn't possibly have worked," Arden laughed.
"It might have, but I forgot that my overprotective drunken oaf of a brother was right there," Jordan said. "He freaked out and started shaking me. I had to blow my cover to save myself."
"So what did your dad do?"
"Oh he screamed at us for a while then sent us to our rooms. We thought we might get off with just that but then he woke us up at 4:00 the next morning and made us clean out the Bears locker rooms," Jordan explained. "It was disgusting. Having a football coach for a father is definitely not always fun."
Arden laughed, pouring more champagne for both of them.
"Weren't you the one reminding me that it's the middle of the day?" Jordan smirked.
"I was," Arden confirmed. "But you were right, champagne is okay anytime."
"So I'm curious, you've heard all these stories about my family, you've met Wes and my dad. I feel like I don't know anything about your family," Jordan said, taking a sip.
"There isn't much to know," Arden shrugged. "My mom and dad were theater actors, hence my ridiculous Shakespearean name. We moved all over the place all the time. They got a divorce when I was 8 and my dad didn't put up much of a fight for custody so I was stuck basically travelling the country with my mom. Wherever she got a part, that's where we lived. She was always out on auditions or working, I almost never saw her. I taught myself how to do everything, cook, clean, you name it. I went to a different school almost every year all the way through high school so I could never really make lasting friendships, you know? It got to a point where I didn't even bother trying. My mom never remarried. She still does summer stock and those murder mystery things, cruises, dinner theater, stuff like that."
"I didn't think they did dinner theater anymore," Jordan said.
"I think the national association only has like 40 members, honestly," Arden laughed. "Anyway, we never really talk, my dad calls every once in a while. I've always been used to being on my own. I don't have a lot of friends. I'm closer to Bob and Allison than anyone."
"Well now you've got me," Jordan said. "And Wes, Jay, Matt. They all loved you. And they're like leeches; you have to burn them off to get rid of them."
"I'm glad," Arden laughed. She had thoroughly enjoyed her time and Chicago. Jordan and her friends were probably the most welcoming people she'd ever met. Jason and Wes had even ordered her to join Twitter so that they could, in their words, bother her whenever they wanted.
Jordan was about to say something else but her phone started ringing. She picked it up from the coffee table and then frowned; rolling her eyes and setting it back down.
"Everything okay?" Arden asked.
"Oh yeah, life is good," Jordan flashed her a smile.
Arden didn't totally believe her but she didn't push. If she wanted her to know, she would tell her, "So, you think you're ready for life on the road?"
"I'm sure I can handle the travel," Jordan said. "I don't know how I'm gonna do the show without you though. It's gonna be weird working with a different producer. Who's gonna take breaks in the middle of editing to look at shoes online with me?"
Arden laughed, "You're gonna be so busy, I'm sure you won't have time to miss me."
"Aww, I already do," Jordan laughed, pulling her into another hug.
Phil leaned back against the headboard, dialing Jordan's number. He hoped that maybe he'd given her enough time to cool down. The phone rang a few times before he heard Lionel Richie and hung up. He sighed deeply, looking up at the ceiling. He was bored and considered going out but he couldn't decide on any plans because his mind was too occupied with the nagging feeling that he had to fix things with Jordan. He pulled up Twitter, deciding to spend a few minutes mindlessly surfing to get his mind off of it. Of course, the first thing he saw was a picture she'd posted an hour earlier. She was standing with a pretty redhead, both holding bottles of champagne. The redhead was pretending to kiss her bottle and Jordan was making a silly face. The caption read To new friends and new opportunities
She seemed to be having a great time but he knew he'd put a damper on her good mood with the way he acted that morning. He just hoped that maybe, because she looked so happy, he hadn't done as much damage as he thought. He closed Twitter and went to his call log, trying to call her again. He was probably making this a bigger deal than it was. She said she had to go that morning, maybe she really did have to go. They hadn't exactly planned their little sleepover. He heard Lionel much quicker this time. He pulled his phone away from his ear, frowning. That had never happened before. She ignored his call. Probably not a good sign.
Friday
Arden walked to her desk, dropping her purse onto the floor and pulling off her sunglasses. This was sure to be a long day. She was exhausted. Thursday had been Jordan's last night in LA and they had gone out for dinner and drinks, and then stayed up almost all night watching season 3 of Community on DVD and setting up Arden's Twitter account, TeamGinge1285. She went to turn her computer on and saw a post it note on her monitor.
Come to my office when you get in
-Bob
Arden frowned removing the note and tossing it into her wastebasket as she left. Concerned, she rushed as quickly as her heels would carry her.
"Hey there," he smiled when he saw her. He was sitting at his desk with his door open, tossing a baseball.
"Bob!" she glared.
"What?" he caught the ball again, setting it down on his desk.
"You scared me, I thought something might be wrong when I saw that note," she explained, walking in and sitting across from him.
"If something were wrong I would have called, not left you a pink post it," Bob laughed.
She understood the logic of what he was saying but she was tired and thus, still a little bit annoyed, "What's up?"
"I wanted to tell you what a great job you did bringing Jordan in," he smiled. "Everyone is very excited about her show. Except Nate obviously but that's to be expected."
"I didn't do that much," she shrugged.
"Don't downplay your work Arden," he insisted. "You and Jordan obviously both put in a lot. And you work well together."
"We do," Arden nodded. "I'm so happy for her."
"I'm gonna cut to the chase here," Bob leaned forward on his desk. "I want you to field produce this show."
"Me?" Arden stared.
"I would serve as executive producer. I'll be here for whatever you need, but you do all of the ground work. This is your baby, you and Jordan."
Arden had been in development for most of her career. She knew what needed to be done to produce a show but she'd never actually done it herself. "Bob I can't..I've never-"
"I know exactly what your qualifications are," Bob reminded her. "I also know that you are perfect for this. I emailed Jordan about it this morning, she replied in two minutes. She's over the moon about it."
"Yeah but-"
"Vince wants to fast track the hell out of this show," Bob cut her off. "The way I see it, the best way to do that is with you at the helm. We were very impressed with your vision for the show and you should be the one to see it through."
Arden wasn't sure what to say. There would be a ton of pressure on her and she wasn't quite sure she was ready for that. At the same time, the fact that they had enough faith in her to produce the show was exciting and empowering. It was rare for someone her age to get an offer like this.
"You don't have to worry about job security," Bob assured her. "Unless something catastrophic happens, you can always come back to your job in development. And think of it this way, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for you."
She nodded, "I don't have much of a choice here, do I?"
"Not at all," Bob smiled.
"Okay then," she laughed. "I guess I'll do it."
"To my new favorite TV host," Colt raised his glass. He and Jordan were at a sports bar, waiting for Jason, Matt, and a few other friends of hers. He had insisted on helping her celebrate her new job. He was always happy to see one of his friends succeed.
"At least I know one person will be watching," Jordan laughed, tapping her beer bottle against his glass.
"Of course," Colt smiled. "I wonder how long it's gonna take for Vince to come up with an excuse to put you on TV in a bikini."
"Oh I'm sure it won't take long," Jordan laughed. She looked down at the potato skins between them. "I already decided this is gonna be my last shitty meal for a while."
"So when do you start?"
"I met with my agent and lawyer this morning and signed the contract," Jordan said. "I talked to Arden today and we set up some times to work on everything. I have a bunch of Score appearances to fulfill in the next few weeks and I'm gonna try to do the show as many times as I can so I'm gonna be back and forth between here and LA a lot. We should probably be ready to film when the network launches. If it actually launches on schedule."
"That's awesome," he said. "Promise you won't forget me when you're all big time."
"I don't know, I haven't known you that long," she smirked.
Colt was having a good time but there was something he wanted to talk to her about before anyone joined them. He knew he wouldn't have a chance once there were other people there.
"So I feel like there's an elephant in the room," he said, signaling to their waiter to bring them another round of drinks.
"Oh?" she raised an eyebrow, typing a text on her phone.
"What the hell happened with you and Phil?" he asked.
She rolled her eyes and he put a hand over her phone, "Come on, I'm asking as your friend too, not just his."
"You're a hell of a lot closer to him than you are to me," she reminded him, putting her phone down and focusing her attention on him. "And I'm sure you already know exactly what happened so I don't know why you're asking."
"Okay, yes, he gave me his version, I want yours," he offered.
"They should be the same," Jordan shrugged. "I told him I got a job with the network and he looked all freaked out and forgot how to talk so..I left."
"And you're still mad?" he asked.
She looked down at her beer and shrugged again, "I was just surprised. We're supposed to be friends. I thought he would be happy for me. I don't know what was going on in his head since he couldn't seem to speak but he certainly wasn't happy."
"He is happy for you Jordan, he just..handled his surprise in a shitty way," Colt explained. "I mean, I think he was just confused because you didn't mention it before. Trust me, he's happy."
She finished her beer as the waiter brought them new drinks. She seemed unsure of what to say next. Colt didn't normally interfere in anyone else's business but he knew that Phil felt pretty awful about the way he'd handled things and Jordan wasn't talking to him so he couldn't tell her himself. Colt knew that Phil really liked Jordan, probably more than he even knew.
Pomp and Circumstance started playing and Jordan looked down at her phone and then turned her brown eyes on Colt, "Did he know you were giving me this talk?"
"Nope," Colt answered honestly. "Just has good timing I guess."
Jordan nodded and then stared at her phone for a few seconds, trying to figure out what to do.
"Jo!"
They both turned when they heard Matt's voice. He and Jason were walking in the front door and both of them had gift bags in hand.
Jordan slid her finger across her phone, declining Phil's call.