I wasn't going to keep putting chapters out this fast, especially when I end up rewriting them a billion times since Microsoft Word pretty much hates me, but the reviews I've gotten have been incredible! I'm so glad people are liking this story and I really hope that I can keep it as unique as possible. I know a lot of the JxL stories out there are wonderful but it sometimes ends up being the same thing.
The only thing I'm debating on is the whole protective!Jackson. I know a lot of people see it as out of character for him, but I think it could be how he would behave. Like he sees Lisa as his, and he'll be damned if anyone (but him of course) hurts what belongs to him. Feed back on this would be awesome!
Anyway, thanks again to you guys because I haven't been this inspired in awhile. I hope this one doesn't disappoint!
Also, I might have to up this to a 'M' for sexual content and language.. Or I'll just post those chapters separately. I haven't decided on that yet either.
Oh, and, Mini Nicka, I'm glad you asked if she was in bed or not. I'd totally forgotten to write that in so I put it in this one.
I have to warn you, this chapter is short. It's kind of a filler chapter because I need it to move the plot along. The next one will be longer!
It wasn't often that Jackson gave himself the luxury of lingering in a smoky bar. Most of the time he'd have a drink and go. But this time he felt like it was the perfect place to sit and soak in the events from the previous night. With a scotch and a cigarette, he lounged in a deserted corner booth.
He brushed a finger over the cut on his cheek, a mixture of pride and anger swelling in his chest. She continued to amaze him. In any situation, even when she might as well have been half dead from exhaustion, she was resourceful and quick.
After knocking Lisa out, he'd carried her up the stairs and to her bed. He carefully laid her on it and even went as far as to remove her shoes, arrange the pillows, and tuck her under the covers. It startled him how beautiful she was, even when she was obviously not in her best condition. The mixture of femininity and strength that he found in her had weakened him somewhat, otherwise he would never had let anyone beat him the way she had. But, and he knew it to be true, she could easily be his equal. She only thought they were on opposite sides. One situation could easily realign her loyalties.
His musings on Lisa were interrupted when his cell phone went off, and he quickly answered it. "Yeah.. Oh, thanks for getting back to me on that…. Uh huh….. Really? Yeah, I thought it had sounded familiar…. Oh you don't have to worry about me…. Thanks." Stubbing the cigarette out in the ashtray, he finished the scotch quickly and stood. Now, he had work to do.
Lisa took a deep breath. At first waking up, she'd thought that perhaps her encounter with Jackson the night before had actually been a dream. This seemed especially possible after she noticed that the kitchen was spotless.. No broken glass, nothing was knocked over, there wasn't any damage. But, when she looked in the pantry and saw that the Jack Daniels bottle had definitely been open, reality set in. Jackson really had been there. And he had kissed her.
How was it possible for one person to be so endlessly confusing? And that kiss…
Just thinking about it made her stomach twist into uncomfortable knots. It made her sick to think that somewhere deep inside of her, she'd enjoyed it. She had wanted it.
The guy that he'd been when they first met was someone that she could see herself with. But the guy he became on the plane scared her. Lisa knew that he could never be the caring, attentive boyfriend that she had thought she wanted. It was something she told herself over and over again. And why was she even thinking about it? Shaking her head, she quickly cut off the line of thought before it could continue. She was insane. Maybe she should reconsider her father's offer to get her a therapist.
"Dad?" Walking into the dimmed hospital room, Lisa noticed that the TV hummed unwatched as her father slept. He looked unnaturally frail with all the tubes hooked up to him and things beeping. Her shoulders slumped and she slunk down into the chair next to his bed.
When she wasn't busy obsessing on Jackson, she thought about her father. It wasn't good. In fact, as much as she tried to deny it, she knew that he might not make it.
The life that her father tied her to was safe. It was predictable. In the back of her mind, she hated it. Oh, sure, she loved her father more than words could say.. But her definite lack of a love life or a social life meant that her and Jackson had a sickening similarity - they only had their work. Her father was the only one who kept her in this safe routine because she lived it for him. What would happen if he died?
A few days went by and Lisa hadn't seen any other signs of Jackson. She could only assume that he had disappeared on another job, which meant she really was alone when she went to sleep at night. For some reason, it bothered her a little.
Her father finally managed to convince her to return to work. Her first day back proved to be disastrous. Several of the rooms had water leaks, which in turn, caused ceiling damage on the rooms below. And a celebrity arrived unannounced, and was then annoyed when the suite she wanted wasn't immediately available.
But the worst was yet to come. At the very end of her shift, the phone rang.
"Lux Atlantic, this is Cynthia speaking.. Oh, yes. She's right here, hold on." Cynthia turned to her with a frown. "It's for you, Leese."
"Lisa Reisert speaking.."
"Miss Reisert, this is Dr. Andrews at Mt. Sinai. I'm afraid I have some bad news regarding your father…"
