February 2012

Milan Fashion Week

Mercedes couldn't help but feel like the most important person in the world at the moment. As soon as she stepped off the plane, a driver held a sign with her name. He took her things and led her to the awaiting town car. As he drove her to her hotel, Mercedes glanced around, wishing her friends were with her, this was such a big deal, and she was doing it alone.

As they pulled into the hotel, she gasped. "Excuse me, sir…where are we?"

The older gentleman looked at her and smiled. "We are at the Armani Hotel, and you are in for a treat, this place just opened last year, and I hear it is…how they say…perfecto."

Mercedes smiled as he opened her door. Once she stepped out, she was greeted by a young woman with a tablet in hand. "Hello, My name is Quinn, and I am your executive assistant. I have your suite all set up; they will bring your things in, so if you will follow me, Ms. Jones, we can go over your schedule for the week."

Mercedes had to pick her jaw up off the floor for a moment as she took in her surroundings and what was being said to her. "I'm sorry, you are my who?"

"I am sorry I see no one told you. Since Lectra and Armani have decided to invest in you under one of their other labels, they sent me to make sure everything goes smoothly for you." Quinn said, pressing the elevator. "We are going to be on the 6th floor."

"You look pretty young to be my executive assistant."

"I am 20, I am an intern for the law department, and I needed a little extra cash; they gave me this job as a way to learn the business a little more and show that I can handle things."

"That's really cool," Mercedes said.

"No, what's cool is your line, it's beautiful, and things myself and others would actually wear. Like, did you make that romper?"

Mercedes looked down at the blush-colored romper she was wearing that hugged her curves just right. "Yep. I pretty much wear all of my own clothing now, and Lectra said it was a clever way to brand as well."

"She's really smart. Once you start selling your stuff, let me know."

"I have a few things you might like; maybe I can take your measurements so I can tailor a few to match your style."

As the elevator stopped, Quinn smiled. "You would do that?"

Mercedes nodded. "Yes."

As Mercedes stepped into the suite, she gasped. "This is my room?" She asked, looking around and walking towards the terrace with a nice patio set and view.

"That is the Duomo Cathedral; if you look over there, you can see the city center."

"Wow, this is beautiful."

Quinn beamed. "Since this is the Armani Milano Suite, Armani is the one who decorated it; you can see his style throughout it. The guest bathroom is through that door."

"Guest bathroom?" Mercedes questioned.

"In case you have anyone over like your models or anything, they don't have to use your personal bathroom."

Mercedes breathed, shaking her head as Quinn continued. "If you follow me through here, you will see your living room, dining room, a private kitchen, and…." She stopped talking so that Mercedes could see the study. "You have a study with this beautiful Diogene ground lamp, and I love it."

"I can definitely work here this week."

"Good, now through here, you will see this beautiful evergreen bedroom with a huge walk-in closet and this beautiful limestone marble wide bathroom. There are two T.V.s and an Ipad station."

"Oh, I don't have an Ipad."

Quinn smiled, pulling out a goodie bag. "You do now. There are a bunch of great things in there; it's called a swag bag for a reason."

Mercedes takes the bag in disbelief.

"As I said, two T.V.s, and an Ipad station, it's Air Conditioned. And it has a minibar. There is wi-fi; the password is in the bag. There is a makeup corner in the bathroom and amenities in the kitchen. If you need anything, my room is across the hall, and/or you can call the front desk. Do you smoke?"

Mercedes shook her head. "No, I don't."

"Good, then that won't be a problem. Would you like to get comfortable, and then I come, and we go over your schedule, or we can do it now."

"Can we do it in an hour? I smell like the plane and would love a shower."

"Of course. I just set my alarm. I will be here in an hour, and I am right next door if you need me before then." Quinn said as the staff brought up Mercedes's bags. After Mercedes said goodbye to everyone, she took a quick shower and laid out on her bed, returning the missed calls.

S.E.: I know we left things in a bad place, but I really hope you had a safe flight

M.J.: Thanks, Sam…I had a safe flight. I am actually in my room.

S.E.: Is it nice?

M.J.: It's unreal. The room is huge, and the view…

S.E.: Care to share it?

M.J.: attaches a photo

M.J.: Isn't it beautiful.

S.E.: It would have been better if you were in the photo

M.J.: Shut up! :)

S.E.: It's the truth. You make every view beautiful.

M.J.: And you are a flatterer; glad that hasn't changed with time.

S.E.: I am sorry that other things have changed. You didn't deserve how I acted. I want to say if I had known you were coming, I wouldn't have acted like a complete ass, but I can't say for sure.

M.J.: Why? Sam, we were best friends, we were everything, and I know there is no going back, but you made it seem like I was the one who broke us apart.

S.E.: I guess I couldn't accept that the best thing that has ever happened to me was taken away because I was that ass who let her go. I was foolish.

M.J.: So, where do we go from here?

Mercedes stared at the phone, waiting for a reply, when a video call came through. Hitting accept, she couldn't stop the smile that came over her as Sam's face came on screen.

"Well, looks like Milan agree's with you; how are you, Merce?" Sam said, smiling. He was lying down on his bed.

"It's a beautiful place, but I am not sure it's me. I do love this view, though."

"I do too. Merce, I am so sorry for what happened when you were here. I have no excuse; all I can ask is that you forgive me."

Mercedes lay on her bed facing him. "I want to forgive you. I want to move on, but I think it's you having to forgive yourself, too, Sam. If you can do that, and we can let go, then I don't see us having a problem being friends."

"Just friends?" He asked, and she rolled her eyes with a smirk.

"Only time will tell, Sam." She teased with a laugh.

Mercedes had been sitting down reading at a little cafe as she took a break from taking in all the sites and people around her. As she sipped her latte, she heard a snap and caught a man taking a photo of her.

"Excuse you, what do you think you are doing?"

He smiled. "Taking photos. I thought it was pretty obvious."

"I can see that! I mean, why are you taking my photo?" She asked, putting her book down.

"Oh well, that's obvious too, you're beautiful, and I love photographing beautiful things."

She raised an eyebrow at him, and he moved to sit across from her. "I'm Jordan. Photographer of pretty things by day, Fashion blog photographer at night."

"Ah, so you are here for fashion week?" She asked, and he nodded.

"Can I assume you are as well?"

She smiled. "You can assume it."

He leaned in. "But would I be right?"

Mercedes eyed him for a moment, taking him in. That man was sexy in a way, he knew it, and she wasn't one who usually fell for that kind of in-your-face charm, but it was working for her. "You would be."

"I knew it! I saw your face and knew you had to be a model." He said, grinning.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but I am not a model, just a designer."

"You say just a designer as if it's not even more impressive. You have to be like, what? 24?"

"20." She corrected.

"Wow, you must be something special."

"I'd like to think so," Mercedes said, grabbing her things. "This was really great, but I should be getting back; my models should be arriving soon."

"How far are you from your hotel? I can walk you?" He said, standing with her.

"That's a sweet offer, but I am right down the street. Like literally right there," she said, pointing to the Armani hotel.

"You are seriously a Designer?"

Mercedes laughed. "Did you think I was lying?"

"Hell, yes! You're so young, not that there is anything wrong with it…I am just gonna stop putting my foot in my mouth and ask for your number before all the cool points go out the window."

"Too late for that." She said, walking away from him.

"Wait! Can't I at least get your name?"

Mercedes turned to him and smiled. "Where's the fun in that. Come find me, Mr. Photographer."

Mercedes paced backstage, shaking her hands out as the nerves tried to overtake her. She needed to remain calm, but she felt anything but calm. Her phone vibrated, and she tore her eyes away from the runway to see Sam was texting her.

S.E.: Stop freaking out.

M.J.: Who says I'm freaking out?

S.E.: Years of knowing you? Are your hands numb yet? Pretty sure you shook the feeling out of them.

Mercedes balled and unbilled her hands.

M.J.: I can't help it! My clothes are on that stage right now.

Mercedes looked back up as her phone vibrated, signaling a video call.

"Sam, are you seriously calling me right now?"

He nodded. "I can't be there; this is the next best thing. Now turn me around so I can see the stage."

Mercedes hesitated for a moment before turning the phone around so Sam could see her. "If they don't like my stuff."

"Stop it, Mercedes, you talented, beautiful, smart. Everything about you is exquisite. The world needs talent like yours; just wait for the applause, okay?"

Mercedes closed her eyes and nodded as the show continued, and then she heard cheers as she was asked to come out onto the stage; she asked her assistant for the day to hold her phone as she walked out and took her bow. Floating on air, she took her phone back and smiled, staring at Sam. "Thank you, Sam."

"You are welcome, but you don't need to thank me. You did this yourself and have all the talent in the world, and I am so glad that you are living in your moment."

"Me too."

"So, does this mean you are headed to New York?" Sam asked.

"I'm considering it." She said softly.

"Congrats, Mystery girl!" Mercedes heard, and she looked past her phone to see Jordan.

"Sam, I have a few people trying to congratulate me. Can I call you back?"

"Yes, congrats again, Mercedes. You deserve this."

Mercedes hung up and smiled, looking over to Jordan. "So you found me."

"Lucky me. I wanted to congratulate you before others got to you. You have a lot of talent."

"Thank you."

He shook his head. "Don't brush it off as if I said there was a pebble in your shoe; I mean it. You have talent. I took a photo of a girl wearing plastic spoons, so hear me when I say that you are a talented woman, and I know that everyone will be wearing Mercedes Jones in the next few years."

Mercedes blushed as Quinn stood next to her. "Mercedes, you are wanted."

"Go out with me," Jordan asked as she turned away from him.

"I am only in Milan for another day or two, and then I am headed probably to New York."

Jordan smiled, handing her his card. "Then I guess it's good that is where my next assignment is."

Mercedes smiled, chewing her bottom lip as she walked away with Quinn.

"He's charming."

Mercedes looked back and nodded. "He really is."

"So, was that guy on the phone. Is he your boyfriend?"

"Ex…"

Quinn smirked. "Gotta feel good having those kind of options."

Mercedes sighed. "I guess…"

New York, New York

July 2012

Mercedes walked across the floor of her new studio and squealed excitedly. "This is amazing! Don't you think this is amazing?"

Kurt nodded. "It is! And what's even more amazing is that you hired me as an intern, and I know you pulled a few strings."

"No, I'd do it again. You are talented, and you have an eye for fashion. Besides, it's the dream, right?"

"Yes it is."

"Knock knock."

Mercedes turned and smiled, seeing Jordan walking into her new space. "How is the world's most beautiful designer?"

"Happy to see your handsome face." She smiled, leaning to kiss him. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see if you wanted to grab lunch."

Mercedes shook her head. "No, you didn't."

He rolled his eyes. "Okay, no, I didn't…but can you blame me? You won't give me an answer."

Kurt looked between them. "What am I missing?"

Mercedes sighed. "Jordan wants me to move in with him; we have only been seeing each other for a few months; it's way too soon."

Jordan laughed. "Is it? Or are you just too scared to do it?"

"This is how I know you aren't ready to live with me. Scared tactics like that are a no-go, and I don't buckle to peer pressure."

Jordan sighed, pulling her closer. "Mercedes, I can't help that I have fallen for you and want to spend every day with you."

"Jordan, I like you, but I can't live with you." Her phone rang, and she sighed. "One second."

As Mercedes walked away, Kurt folded his arms. "That's not how you are gonna get her to move it."

"No? Asking isn't the right approach?"

Kurt sighed. "Jordan, Jordan, Jordan. Mercedes Jones has only loved one man in her life, and he broke her, literally into pieces, and she cares about you, but she won't let the guard down, not until she feels more secure in being loved by another man."

"That Sam guy?"

Kurt nodded. "Just give her a key and let her come to if she wants to move in on her own."

"I'd like to punch this Sam guy for hurting her like he did."

Kurt smiled. "Looks like you are about to get that chance."

Mercedes walked back into the room as Sam and Blaine walked in.

"Sam…what are you doing here?"

Sam smiled, handing her a frame in wrapping paper. "I wanted to create something special for your Design Studio. So it's an Evans Original."

Mercedes's eyes widened as she took it and moved over to her desk, placing the poster-size gift on it and opened it. "Sam!" She gasped, looking at her wearing the dress she had worn when she visited him a few months back.

"This is…wow." She turned it so the others could see it.

Blaine smiled. "I saw bits and pieces, but it's even better than I thought it would be."

"I gotta admit, you captured Mercy's beauty perfectly," Kurt added.

Mercedes removed the fruit photo behind her desk, replaced it with Sam's picture, and then moved to face it. "Wow… thank you, Sam…thank you so much for this." She turned, hugging him.

Jordan cleared his throat moving towards them. "Hey, I'm Jordan, Mercedes's boyfriend." He extended his hand to Sam.

"Yeah, okay," Sam said, looking at Mercedes. "I am glad you like it. I know you are busy, but maybe we can grab lunch sometime soon."

"Yeah, that sounds great." Mercedes beamed.

Jordan pulled Mercedes to his side and smiled. "You know, we should double date! Mercedes said you have a girlfriend?"

Sam ran his hands through his hair. "Uh yeah, I can ask Gabby and see if she is down for that."

"Great, tonight?"

"Jordan, it's really last minute. You can't ask Sam to do that."

"No, it's good, Mercedes I will jump at any chance to do it." Sam beamed. "We can go to this Italian place, I know, and I know how much you crave ravioli."

Mercedes rolled her eyes. "Shut up! Okay, everyone loves ravioli."

Jordan raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, it's just an inside joke," Mercedes said.

Kurt saw Jordan's face and stepped forward. "Let's just make this a threesome!" Everyone looked at him, and he shook his head. "I just mean, like, the three couples should go out tonight."

"You know what? That would be great; this is gonna be so much fun! We will see you guys later because Kurt and I have work to do."

She kissed Jordan and turned to her desk, smiling as she looked once again at the painting, not noticing the two pairs of eyes watching her.

"You are really being an idiot!" Blaine said as they waited outside the restaurant. "You legit have me here at a dinner with you, your current girl, ex-girl, and her boy. It's a recipe for disaster."

Sam patted his back. "You really worry too much. Also, please tell me why you are getting on me when it was your boo who added ya'll to the group."

Blaine cut his eyes at Sam. "Sam, you can't play with Mercedes's relationship."

"I am not! Look, I love her, I won't deny that, and I will take any chance to be around her I can. And if she and this Jordan guy make it, great. But if not. I want to be there because I need to beg her for another chance."

"Sam, it's not about what you need. Can't you get that? Everything you have done has been because of what you need. You needed to feel better, so you left her and didn't call her. You needed to not feel bad, so you blamed her. Now you need to get her back, so you impose yourself on her relationship? That's not love."

Sam threw his hands up into the air. "I…okay, I can see that. I just miss her, Blaine, and I know I don't deserve another chance; I wish she would give me one."

"That's just tough luck on your end." Sam heard and turned to see Jordan.

"Look, I am not going to come between you two," Sam said. "I was just being honest about my feelings."

"Let me be clear; you were stupid enough to let her go. I am not gonna make that mistake. I am in love with Mercedes, and I knew I would never let her go when she agreed to date me."

"And that's fine. I won't interfere, but you should know she loves me too."

Jordan laughed. "You are crazy."

"Am I?" Sam asked. "You have known Mercedes all of what? Five? Six months? I have known her for years; I was her first love."

"You were also her first heartbreak, the first and, if I have my way, the last man to break her. Women like her don't come around every day, and it's not my fault that by the time you got your head out of your ass to see what you lost, she was taken."

Blaine moved in front of them as Mercedes approached from one end with Kurt while Gabby approached from the other.

"Guys now is not the time nor the place."

"Naw, it's both," Jordan said, moving in front of Sam. "Mercedes is mine, not yours, and she never will be; you need to get that through your head. You lose Evans."

"Do I? You wouldn't be so pissed if I didn't stand a chance. As scared as I am that she has moved on from me forever, you are just as scared that she hasn't." Sam taunted.

"Back the fuck off, Evans, before I make you," Jordan warned.

Sam got in his face. "You know I was also the first man to make love to her. Has she given you any yet?"

Jordan swung at Sam, connecting with his jaw as Sam tackled him to the ground. Mercedes ran up as they started fighting on the pavement, blood pouring from Sam's nose and Jordan's mouth.

"STOP THIS! STOP FIGHTING!" Mercedes screamed as Blaine and Kurt tried to pull them apart.

Jordan and Sam rolled around, fists connecting to bones with sickening crunches, and as an audience gathered around, Mercedes tugged at Jordan's arms, trying to stop him from currently punching Sam as he hovered above him.

"Jordan, stop!" Mercedes begged as she grabbed his arm. Yanking his arm away, he swung at Sam again and Sam's fist connected with his jaw.

Mercedes reached for his arm again. "Please stop this, guys!"

"Get off me!" Jordan spat and pushed Mercedes into the street, going back to attacking Sam.

Mercedes fell, landing hard on her head, elbow, and side, crying out in pain as she did.

At Mercedes's scream, everyone stopped. Sam and Jordan stood in horror as Kurt and Blaine ran to her.

"Mercedes, I am so sorry I didn't mean to hurt you," Jordan said, and he moved towards her, but Kurt stood in his way.

"Don't go near her!" He said as Sam moved closer. "Neither of you!" Kurt turned with Blaine to help her up.

Sam moved towards them. "Merce? Merce, are you okay?"

Gabby moved towards him. "Sam?"

Sam looked at her and shook his head, turning back towards Jordan. "I outta kick your ass for hurting her." He growled.

"You are the reason, you psycho!"

Blaine shook his head. "She needs to go to the hospital; she hit her head when she fell."

As if on cue, an ambulance showed up as well as a police cruiser. Sam moved towards them as the paramedics looked over Mercedes and started to load her up.

"I am going with her."

"The hell you are, Evans." Jordan said, pushing him out of the way.

Kurt shook his head. "Blaine and I are going with her; you two better pray you don't get arrested, fighting like some damn children! She didn't deserve that, and she doesn't deserve this; you both need to stay the hell away from her."