A/N: I am very excited as I write this because I found out Water for Elephants has a dvd release date this week! And not only that, I already have it pre-ordered. That dvd is gonna sit right next to my Welcome to the Riley's dvd. Honest. I can't wait to be obsessed with that now.

It's a little frustrating to see your boyfriend search for a job in this town. He knows exactly what he's good at, what he went to college for, yet no one's hiring a fucking vet in this damn town. How is that possible? Jacob is probably a thousand times better than the ones I've seen buildings for.

But still, day and night, Jacob searches for a job he's too good for. I really don't get it. He could go anywhere but for some fucked up reason, he wants to be with me so he goes for shit-ass jobs that don't even pay good.

I make better money than him.

Weeks had passed since he met the Riley's. Jacob never said a word about his opinions on that night but I know he felt awkward. Being around Doug and sleeping with me is probably not a good combination. He's seen them again, of course but never like that night again, the weirded-out dinner we had.

But the weirdest part of all is I've seen Jacob and Doug whispering a few times. What the fuck is that about? He's my boyfriend and he's whispering to a guy who's like a father to me? If there was something he's keeping from me, I'd feel like I need to know.

Sure, I kept secrets from him. No fucking doubt about that one. But he's talking to Doug about it. Doug. He is a part of my life, they both are. So what's with the secret keeping? Especially if it has something to do with me.

I'd have to ask him about it someway.

There was a light knocking on the door and I knew it was my time to go on the stage. At least my thoughts would travel in a different direction when I'm dancing.

"Mallory!" my boss yelled. "You got a minute til you go on! You ready?"

"Yeah," I tried to say as loudly as possible. I heard the footsteps retreat and he walked away. I breathed a loud sigh, smoothed out my tiny outfit and opened the door.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

Ugh. Why was the phone ringing? I rolled over in my bed and tried to reach the phone. "What?" I exclaimed to my wake-up call.

"Allison?"

"Lois."

It made me sigh in relief that it wasn't some creep calling me at 3 am but after dancing until 2 am, I did not want phone calls. "What's up?"

"Allison," she sighed. "I needed to call you about Jacob."

Panic shot through me fast and I almost felt like I couldn't breathe. "What happened?"

"He called me," she answered. "Don't worry. He's fine." I couldn't help the loud, happy sigh I took at the moment. I knew she heard it and I didn't care. "He came to our hotel door, said he was leaving that room."

"What?" I half-screamed. "Is he gone? Where is he?"

"He's not gone." I could sense her shaking her head through the phone. "He wanted to go find a job somewhere and said he got this call back, for in Baton Rouge, I think. It's a commute and all, but he had to go immediately."

"When will he be back?" I swallowed, scared he was gonna just take off again.

"I don't know," Lois replied. "I just knew I had to tell you and I didn't think it would matter when exactly the time was. You needed to know."

"Thank you," I sighed. She said you're welcome and we hung up. I started franctically dialing Jacob's cell phone number. It took 2 rings.

"Hello?"

"Jankowshi, you are a shit world of trouble, you know that?"

"Mallory," he said, simple and like nothing happened. "Did Lois tell you?"

"Fuck yes, she told me!" I screamed, sitting myself up in my bed. "But the real question is – why didn't you tell me?"

He sighed. "I didn't know how to," he finally said, the sadness seeping through his voice. "They called me and I jumped in my car. I needed to come check this job out and I didn't want to wake you." Pause. "So I told Lois to call you and tell you. I guess she woke you up anyways, right?"

"I hate you," I whispered.

"No, you don't," he chuckled. "What was it you said to me? Oh yeah. 'I love you.' You remember that, Carter?"

"No," I justified, "Nope. I don't love you. I said that to make you feel less stupid for saying it." I felt a smile creep up on my face as we went into our joking stage.

"Aww," he sounded hurt, "that breaks my heart, you know?"

"Sorry," I replied. "It had to come out sooner or later, you know?" I sighed, knowing the joke was over. "I miss you already."

"I know," it was his turn to sigh. "And I'm the one who knows we've been apart for hours." I laughed a bit at that. "I wanted to call you. I didn't want to hear you say 'don't go' or something like that. I knew I would come straight back if I heard you. To be honest, I'm fighting it right now."

"No," I said, "You need to stay about the job. You can't come back and risk it all because your I miss my boyfriend, you know?"

"But I miss my girlfriend."

"Well," I started, "How long are you gonna be gone?"

Jacob paused for a moment. "About a week, unless it takes longer. They're checking my background, past references and jobs and then I'm waiting for the big boss to come and that'll be in a few days."

"Let me come to you," I suggested.

"No, I can't do that," he turned me down. "I can't make you miss that many days of work."

"I'm a stripper," I said, "I think I can make money fast when I come back. All I gotta do is take off my clothes and dance on a pole for those perverted old and even young, sometimes ugly guys." I was chuckling a bit at the last part and I could tell he wasn't.

"And that's supposed to make me feel better?" he asked. "You being naked and dancing in front of those sick mother fuckers?"

"Yes," I giggled. "Tell me to come if you hate it so much."

I was testing him. I knew it. He knew it. But I wanted to know what he'd say.

"Mallory," his serious yet incredibly sexy serious voice breathed. "Please don't do this."

"Do what?" I asked innocently.

"Tease me," he answered. "Act like if I don't ask you to come, some other guy is gonna take you away from me."

"Who knows?" I tested again. "Someone might. You walked in that club unexpected and now look at me. You got me saying shit like 'I love you'. I love you! You know how much that is not me, Jacob?"

"I do," he confirmed. "But I think you hate the perverted guys that come in there just as much as I hate them watching you."

"Wow," I breathed, "I must hate them bundles and shitloads, huh?" I giggled a bit again, not being able to resist trying to make him laugh.

"Look," his voice was serious again. "I don't want to take you away, especially when your life is in New Orleans. Doug and Lois are in New Orleans. I can't just ask you to take off for a week and come with me."

"But I want to."

"I'll see you in a week, okay?" he tried to sound excited but you could tell he was faking and wanted me with him. I guess I was that amazing. Of course. "It'll go fast, I promise."

"Ugh," I sighed. "No, it won't." I pouted though he couldn't see me. Suddenly he started laughing.

"I know you're sad and pouting right now, Mallory." How the fuck? "But you need to get through the week and I'll see you when I get back. And if it all works out, I can get my own place, instead of living at the stupid hotel. It's a good thing."

I sighed anyways again. "Fine. But I'm still so frigging pissed, you know?"

"Yeah," he chuckled. "I know. I love you."

"Yeah, yeah," I shrugged, "I love you, too."

"Night."

"Bye."

And we hung up and I was left with all these sad thought about going a week without seeing Jacob. He really had turned me around from who I was. Ugh. What was happening to me? It made me laugh a short laugh to myself in my dark bedroom, thinking about how different I was when he met me. When Doug and Lois met me.

The next morning, I woke up all excited for the day and then I remembered Jacob was gone. This was going to be a hard week. I got ready for the day and met with some of the girls from work. Thankfully, I still had kept my boyfriend a secret from them.

Believe me, I love them and all, but if they knew I had a boyfriend, especially a delicious-looking, yummy, gorgeous, sexy, sweet and romantic one, they'd try to steal him in a fricking heartbeat.

They were not getting my Jankowski.

The days all went by in a blur and I barely remember much from them. Going to work, meeting the girls, talking to my boss, lunch with Lois, lunch with Doug, dinner and worst of all, waking up to realize he was still not back yet.

Six days after I found out he was out of town, Jacob's cell number flashed on my phone's screen. I rushed to answer. "Finally!" I screamed happily and as loud as I can. Whenever we called each other, we got the other's voicemail so it was good news to hear his voice again.

"Hey," he chuckled a bit at my excitement. "I'm looking for Mallory. This is supposed to be her number. You know where I can find her?"

I gave a look though he couldn't see me. "Jacob."

"Hey, baby," he smiled through his voice. "I miss hearing your voice. It's not enough to hear 'This is Mallory's phone and leave me a message of fuck off' for six days."

I laughed, "I know. Hearing 'You've reached Jacob and he's out of town missing his hot as hell girlfriend. But leave a message after the beep' is not enough for me either."

"So you know I changed it then?" I laughed even harder then. "Shit."

"Don't worry," I replied, "I'm missing my hot as fuck boyfriend, too." I smiled this town and I could tell the shit-eating grin he was giving by his silence. "So what's up with the job?"

"I may have gotten it," he answered. "The boss came back earlier today and I have a big shot. I asked if it were possible for me to live somewhere else and commute, he said yeah. But I still wish I didn't have to. It'd be nice if the job was in New Orleans."

"I know," I said back, "Maybe he could get you a job here, if he puts a good word in."

"Yeah," he responded. "But I think I'll be back in a few days. I'm gonna be exhausted though. Maybe I'll get someplace in-between here and there, you know?"

"That means further from me," I stated.

"Yeah," he whispered. "But we'll see, okay?"

"Okay," I whispered back. "So tell me about the town. What's it like?" I settled down on my couch and he started telling me stories about the crazy things he'd seen on the street.

A/N: I couldn't think of another Louisiana town for Jacob to be going to for a job. I'm pretty bad at geography related things so I hope it's not too far for a commute.