CHAPTER 36
[A/N: Sorry this took so long to post. I've been crazy busy with work lately, so I haven't had a lot of time to actually sit down and write. The next installment of November should be up pretty soon, too. 33 Mari]
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"Who the hell is Roger on the phone with this early?" Mimi asked, yawning and coming into the living room. She adjusted the AC as she passed and rested her hips on her hands, watching him.
"I think it's Wes. Or Evan. Or Travis," Mark said. "I can't keep their names straight."
"Already? We just got back three days ago."
Mark shrugged and continued writing on his script. "I don't know."
She passed Roger and walked into the kitchen. "Jackie still asleep?" she asked, pouring herself a glass of orange juice to take her pills with.
Mark nodded and took a sip of his coffee. "Yeah, she didn't feel good last night. We're going to the doctor today for her 13 week check up, so I'm going to bring it up with her."
"Good idea. She's been looking pretty miserable lately."
"Yeah. Yeah okay. I'll see you. At 1. Okay. Yeah. Bye." Roger hung up the phone and ran his hands through his hair.
"Who was that baby?"
"Wes. Andre called him this morning and said he needed to talk to us, so I have to leave around 1 for a meeting with the rest of the band."
She walked over and handed him his pills and her unfinished glass of orange juice. "Okay." He leaned over and gave her a kiss, running his hands up and down her back.
Mark rolled his eyes. "Get a room."
"Gladly," he grinned, grabbing her wrist and pulling her towards the bedroom. "I'm going to have sex with my wife now, and you know what? It's gonna be damn good," he added, slamming the bedroom door.
Mark could hear Mimi giggling already as he walked into the other side of the apartment. He popped his head in the bedroom to find Jackie sound asleep, the blankets pulled up to her chin.
The phone started ringing and he grabbed it, not wanting to wake her.
"Hello?"
"Hey, is Jackie there?"
"Yeah but she's asleep, who's this?
"Harvey."
"Oh hey, it's Mark.
"Hey, could you just tell her to give me a call when she gets the chance? I have to talk to her about something."
"No problem."
"Who was that?" Jackie asked. Mark hung up the phone and kissed her forehead.
"Harvey. He just wanted you to call him later."
"Oh. Okay," she yawned.
"Why don't you go back to sleep? You don't have to be up for a few more hours yet. It's only 9," he reminded her.
"Lay with me?"
Mark nodded and stretched out next to her on the bed. "Sure."
Before he even had a chance to say anything else to her, she had wrapped her arm around his stomach and had fallen asleep.
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"Roger, are you hungry yet?"
"What? No."
Mimi walked into the living room and crossed her arms over her chest, staring him down. "What's wrong? You've been quiet since you came back from the meeting with the band. Did something happen?"
He looked up at her from the couch, where he was watching music videos on the TV. "No."
Mimi sighed in frustration and sat down on the arm of the couch. "So then what's going on?"
He ran his hands through his hair, which was what he always did when he was upset or angry. "I have to go away for awhile."
She nodded. "Okay, for how long? A few days? Baby, it's okay if it's only a few days. I'll be fine," she smiled at him, running her fingers through his hair.
"It's not just a few days."
"Then how long?"
"A month." He winced, waiting for the explosion. Her pregnancy mood swings had been whacked out lately.
"What?!"
"We're opening for a pretty popular band on the label for the first two weeks around the country, and then we're flying to LA again to start our CD."
"Oh."
Roger stood up and wrapped his arms around her. It was getting a lot harder to do that now, since she only had a few more months to go and he couldn't exactly position himself right anymore to hug her properly. "Mimi, I promise I'll call as much as I can. And if I get any breaks I'll be on the next flight home. And if anything happens, I'll be on the next flight home."
"Fine." She pushed him away and walked back into the kitchen. "Is Lori going with Wes?"
Roger nodded. "Yeah, but she and the baby are meeting us in LA. She's not gonna be touring with us."
"So then let me come with you."
"Mimi no—"
"Why not?" He could tell she was getting easily frustrated.
"You're pregnant!"
"So!"
"You know you can't fly. Your doctor even told you not to fly during the last trimester."
"Then I'll drive."
Roger cracked a smile at this. He could see how badly she wanted to be with him. "You just can't go, baby. I'm sorry, but that's the way it is."
She placed her hands on her hips. "When are you leaving and getting back?"
"I'm leaving tomorrow, and I'll be back July 2nd."
"Tomorrow?! I can't believe this. You're not even going to be home for my birthday! You probably won't even be here for 4th of July. You're leaving tomorrow? God Roger, fuck you!" she shouted at him, starting to cry. "I can't believe you're leaving tomorrow. Why tomorrow? Why not over the weekend? You're leaving tomorrow?" she ranted.
Roger walked over and placed his arms around her again and started rubbing her back. "Shh, it's okay Meems. I promise I won't miss anything. I swear, okay? It's just something I have to do, okay?"
She buried her face in his chest. "Okay," she mumbled. "I guess I'm gonna have to get used to the rock star lifestyle."
He laughed and kissed her. "Yeah, I think I'll have to get used to it too," he joked.
"I'm gonna miss you," she said, wiping at her eyes. "We're gonna miss you."
Roger looked down and grinned. "I know. I'll miss you too."
"God I don't think it's possible for me to cry any fucking more than I have over the past three days."
"So let's go and do something else that doesn't have anything close to dealing with crying. Unless I'm that terrible that you start to cry."
She rolled her eyes at him and sat down at the barstool. "I'm not really in the mood."
"Oh. Alright." He sat down across from her.
Mimi laughed at him. "Don't look so disappointed."
"I'm not."
Mimi giggled and stood up again, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Fine, you win. Let's go then."
He shrugged and stood up. "Hey, your call."
"Good. Because you're not getting any after the baby's born. Might as well make up for it now."
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"C'mon Jac-kay, dance with me!"
Jackie rolled her eyes and laughed. "Harvey, you're going to fall. And then I'm going to laugh."
"You're a mean one today." He stopped dancing and grinned at her. "I'm graceful. I don't fall."
"Are we done yet? Where are you taking me?"
"Just because you decided to take off for god knows how long, other people have real things today."
Jackie laughed. "Like what, drinking beer and working out?"
"Nah. Well, kind of." He slipped on his sneakers and tossed his ballet shoes into his duffel bag, which was slung across his shoulder. "Let's go."
"Do I get a hint?"
He looked at her before pushing her out the door. "No."
They hailed a cab and headed uptown, and twenty minutes later had stopped in front of a three story industrial building. "Ooh, cryptic. How nice, you took me to a building."
"The surprise is inside, moron," he laughed at her. He grabbed a key from his pocket and opened the hall door, then leading her up two flights of stairs. "Can you make it? You're not that out of shape are you?"
"Shut up," she groaned. "I'll be dancing again before you know it."
He stopped in front of a set of double doors and stuck a different key in. "Ready?"
"Yes," she answered impatiently.
He opened the one side and let her in before him. Jackie found herself in the middle of a dusty and dimly light studio. The walls hadn't been painted, only primed, and a few boxes were scattered throughout the place. Two large windows overlooked the street, and another wall was paneled in floor to ceiling mirrors. "Like it?"
Jackie smiled at him and gave him a hug. "Like it? I love it. It's perfect. Did you do all of this? How the hell are you affording it?"
"This place was actual an old exercise studio back in the 70's. It hasn't been used for years, and the owner was just using it as a storage space for his tenants. I convinced him to let me reopen it as a dance studio. He liked the idea, and the rent's pretty cheap. That's why the mirrors are there." He looked around for a minute. "So basically all it needs is a paint job, Windex, lighting, and students."
"This is really great Harvey. Thank you."
"But the best part is, we don't have to start paying rent until we get enrollment going. I already started advertising.
"So I guess we're on our way then, huh?"
"Yeah, we are."
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Close to three hours later, Jackie had returned back to an empty loft. "Mark?" she called out. "Hello?"
She walked to their side of the apartment and placed her purse on the couch, kicking off her shoes in the process. "Mimi? Anyone?"
No answer, but instead, the phone started ringing. She reached for the cordless and picked it up. "Hello?"
"Hello, I'm looking to speak with Jacqueline Marie Ferrell."
Jackie walked into the kitchen and took a seat at the table. She was still adjusting to the newly completed loft. Two kitchens, two bathrooms, two of everything, pretty much. "This is she."
"This is Detective Miller with the NYPD. We spoke a few weeks back?"
"Yes, I remember. Is there something I can help you with?"
"Mr. O'Connell's lawyer has contacted us and informed us that Joshua has pleaded guilty to the charges of attempted murder of Mark Cohen. A trial date has been set for the 21st of October, and at this time Mr. Cohen will need to find a lawyer to represent him in court. If he cannot do so, a lawyer will be provided for him at this time."
"Is Josh in jail?"
"No. Mr. O'Connell is out on bail right now, which brings me to my other place of business. You and Mr. Roger Davis have been subpoenaed as witnesses to the crime and will need to be present at the trial."
Mark walked in, loosening his tie. Jackie gave him a small smile.
"Oh. Is there any possible way this could be settled outside of court?"
Mark's head shot up at her when she mentioned the word court. He came up behind her and stood in front of her as she finished the phone conversation.
"That is something Mr. Cohen and Mr. O'Connell's lawyers would have to discuss separately."
"Okay, thank you."
"Thank you for your time, Miss Ferrell. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me. When you reach an attorney, just notify me and I'll set you up with the appropriate phone numbers."
"Who was that?" Mark asked, giving her a quick kiss before taking off his shoes.
Jackie hung up the phone and looked at him. "Detective Miller. Josh pleaded guilty and whatever, so the trial's set for October 21st."
"So you're telling me that I have to go to fucking court?"
"So do I, and Roger too."
"Great."
"He said you need an attorney and that the lawyers would have to decide if they wanted to settle outside of court. Probably, because it was attempted murder, assault."
Mark rolled his eyes. "Yeah, okay."
"What's with the attitude?"
"There is no attitude."
Jackie stood up and walked away and sat down on the couch instead, taking her socks off. "I'm sorry what happened, happened okay? I know it's my fault."
Mark sighed and walked over to her. "It's not your fault."
"He's my psycho ex boyfriend."
"Jackie, just drop it."
"Fine." She tossed her socks near the pile of dirty clothes near the door. "Did you call your mother yet?"
"No."
"Well are you going to?"
"I don't know."
Jackie turned around. "Are you planning on telling her? Or should I just show up on her doorstep nine months pregnant? Or better yet with her granddaughter or grandson?"
"Jackie," Mark groaned. "You know how my mom is."
"Bullshit. If your mother doesn't like me, then just fucking tell me. Because whether she likes it or not, I'm still going to be around for a long time coming." She stood up and walked into the bedroom, Mark following.
"It's not like that and you know it."
"No, I don't know it."
"Come on, don't get upset over this. It's not good for you or the baby."
"Right."
"Do you want me to call her right now and invite her over for dinner? Would that make you feel better?" he argued.
"I don't care what you do Mark."
"Then I'll call her today or something. Maybe we'll have her over for dinner next weekend. Okay?"
Jackie sat up on the bed and shrugged. "That's fine."
Mark kissed her forehead and stretched out next to her. "Okay. Then I will, and don't worry about all the legal shit. I'll call my friend Joanne and she'll take care of it."
"I love you Mark."
He laughed as she rested her head against his shoulder. "I love you too."
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"Do you have enough socks?"
Roger looked up from the bed where he was sitting and smiled at Mimi. "Yes, I have enough socks."
"Are you sure? Because I don't want your feet to get cold," she said, her words mumbled together.
"I'm sure." He stood up and kissed her, but she pulled away and started crying again instead. "Don't cry."
She shook her head at him. "I can't help it. I still can't believe you're going away for that long."
He wrapped his arms around her back and pulled her close towards him. "Yeah. I know, but I found out that the rest of the CD is gonna be recorded right here in the city, so once I get back I won't be going away for awhile. I promise."
"Okay." She looked over his shoulder at the clock. "You've gotta get going. It's almost 4."
He sighed and picked up the suitcase as she opened the door for him. "Yeah."
She followed him out into the living room, where Mark and Jackie were already standing. "You have everything? And you're going to call me when you get there, right?"
Roger nodded and kissed her a few more times. "I will. Don't give Mark a hard time. And call my mom if you need anything. Or Lindsey."
"She won't give me a hard time," Mark joked.
"Yeah, you just wait," Mimi winked at him.
"Have fun," Jackie added.
Roger gave Mimi a final kiss before opening the door. "I love you."
"I love you too."
"Just call if anything happens, okay? With the baby?"
"Nah, she likes it in my belly. She won't be coming out anytime soon," Mimi laughed. "Go, your cab driver is getting impatient."
"Okay. I'll see you when I get back."
"Yeah."
"God this sucks," Mimi said the minute she saw Roger's cab pull away from the corner.
"He'll be back," Jackie added, bringing her a glass of water from the kitchen. "He's probably feeling just as bad as you are."
"A month is a really long time."
"Not even away for five minutes and you both have separation anxiety," Mark said. "At least it'll be quiet for a few weeks."
"Shut up, Mark."
"Yeah, please shut up. I can't believe Roger left you with two hormonally unstable pregnant women," Jackie laughed.
"I'm shipping you both down to Collins and Dan's for a two week stretch of time if you keep it up."
"Gee thanks," Jackie laughed. "You're supposed to be in love with me."
Mark grinned and kissed her. "More of a reason to send you away."
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