Chapter Seven

"Trouble in paradise?" asked Lily, cornering Jordan in her office.

Ignoring her, Jordan continued working on her reports.

"Jordan?" Lily asked again.

"Hmmm?"

"I asked if there was trouble in paradise."

"I have no clue. Never been there."

"That's not what I mean. Rumor has it that you and Woody had a huge fight and split up. And that he's moved out."

"No, no, and yes."

Now it was Lily's turn to be confused. "What?"

Jordan leaned back in her chair and stared her friend down. "No, we haven't had a fight. Not a small one, a medium-sized one, or a big one. No, we haven't split up because we were never technically a 'couple'. And yes, he's moved out."

"Why'd he move out if you two haven't fought…"

"Look, Lils, it was a temporary situation. He was only staying with me until he could find a place of his own. He has now, so he's moved out."

"So you're not mad at each other?"

"No…what's there to be mad over?" Jordan said with a note of finality in her voice, ending the conversation and dismissing Lily. It was true. They weren't mad at each other and he had finally moved out…although not without protest from Jordan.

"I'll miss you," she told him. That was nearly his undoing, almost ripping the resolve from his will.

"I'll still be at work…and with you after work…just in my own apartment. It'll give us two places to go at night…" He had been infinitely glad they hadn't been sleeping together since the robbery. If they had of, he knew he wouldn't have been able to leave…and he needed to, at least until they could solidify their relationship.

So, she had helped him move, packing up his few things at her house and getting his other household goods out of storage. He had rented a one bedroom apartment a few minutes from his work. One that had no plans of going co-op. She helped him arrange things and then kissed him good night and went home to her house.

Her now too empty and quiet home. She had tried to watch TV, but found herself too overwhelmed by the stillness of the house to pay attention. She could go to bed, but climbing the stairs and going to her room suddenly didn't hold the same comfort as it did when she knew Woody was across the hall. Instead, she had lain down on the couch and fell into a fitful sleep.

Unaware that a few blocks away, Woody was having the same problem. His old mattress and box springs were suddenly no longer comfortable…and not being able to hear Jordan during the night was disturbing. Instead of sinking into his normal deep slumber, he found himself fighting insomnia. Maybe if he called her….then checking his watch, he discovered it was already after two in the morning. She was bound to be asleep.

Only she wasn't. She had picked up her cell phone and almost hit speed dial for him, when she noticed her clock – 2:15 a.m. He was bound to be asleep. She flipped the receiver closed. She would talk to him tomorrow. Instead she fell into a restless sleep and woke earlier than normal without feeling rested at all. If this is what life is like without him here…I don't like it. And how did I survive before? She asked herself the next morning as she got ready for work, applying an extra layer of concealer on the dark circles under her eyes. She idly wondered how he had rested the night before.

She didn't get her answer until later that afternoon when Woody dropped by her office to see her. A soft knock at her door brought her attention to him. "Hi," he said, walking into her office, sitting down on the edge of her desk. "I was wondering if you'd let your ex-roommate take you to dinner?"

Jordan noticed with a small sense of satisfaction that he had circles underneath his eyes, too. Evidently he had gotten about the same amount of sleep she had.

"Sure. Let me get this last file finished up for Garret and I'm all yours," she said, putting her signature on the last form and placing it in the folder.

"All mine…gee, Dr. Cavanaugh…that sounds…different. You've never said that to me before."

Jordan grinned. "That's because I never realized that I …." She nearly said the L-word there…I never realized I love you before…but a part of her was still hesitant. "That I would miss you so much," she finished, hurriedly, hoping Woody wouldn't catch her fax paus.

He chuckled as he helped her with her jacket. "What's so funny?" she asked.

"That's not what you wanted to say," he said, turning her around to face him. "But that's okay. I know what you meant….and I miss you, too. I had a hard time falling asleep last night." He pulled her to him and she went unresisting.

"I did, too," she said somewhat shyly.

"So…instead of going out, what do you think about ordering Chinese in at my place? We can watch a movie…or maybe not watch a movie and play some Scrabble or cards…"

"Sounds nice. I'll swing by the house to change and then meet you at your apartment say, in about an hour and a half?"

"I'll have the chicken lo mein waiting." He tightened his hold on her and lightly brushed her lips with his, only to feel hers cling just a moment longer than he anticipated before she broke the kiss.

"I won't be long," she called over her shoulder as she strode out the door. A quick trip home for a shower and a change of clothes and she'd be at his door.


Dinner was over. And despite both of their intentions to watch a movie, instead they found themselves on the couch, Jordan lying on top of Woody, and being held snugly, while both of them slept. They had eaten, and talked about work, how the move went, what he had left to unpack…that they missed each other…how hard it was now to get used to not seeing each other…when Woody had noticed her eyes nearly closing. He had pulled her to him and they fell asleep.

And stayed that way until his phone rang. He quickly grabbed it before it could wake her up.

Phone calls are odd things in themselves when you think about it. Tiny bits of communication rattled and thrown through microwave towers from one receiver to another until they find their way to your particular phone. Sometimes the communication is good…sometimes it's mundane…sometimes it's awful.

And sometimes it's life changing.

With one phone call Woody felt his world tilt and turn upside down. Jordan woke when she heard the sound of disbelief jerk from his throat, and then leaned up as she saw his face turn pale. "What is it?" she asked, trying to keep the panic out of her voice…because she saw panic echoing in his eyes.

Not bothering to flip his phone shut, he sat upright so fast he nearly tumbled her to the floor. "It's Cal," he said, pushing himself up from the couch. "I have to go."