A.N - So, so sorry for the delay in posting this. School started again, as readers of Te Amo, Querida know. Plus, my mum said that she'd ban me from fanfiction if I fell behind on my schoolwork - as there is a hell of a lot. So, my reasoning is, better a late update than none at all. Right?

Hope you like this anyway. I promise that we'll be moving on with plot soon.

Suze Simon's To-Do List :

1. Face the wrath of Gina.

2. Try not to drool over Jesse during rehearsal.

3. Do not freak out.

4.. Welcome Jake to the wonderful city of Los Angeles.

Chapter Seven

Groaning, I wrapped the pillow around my head, trying to block out the sound of banging coming from my hotel door. It was way too early to deal with visitors.

"Suze!" Gina's voice called loudly, carrying from the hallway all the way through to my bedroom. "Get your skinny ass to this door and tell me about last night. Right now!"

"Go away!" I called back groggily. The pounding that continued on the door told me that she either hadn't heard me, or was just ignoring me.

Giving in, I crawled out of bed and blearily wondered towards the door, blinking the sleep out of my eyes and running my fingers through my hair before I opened it.

Gina's hand was poised to knock when the door swung open. She didn't hesitate though, instead walking straight into my room, flicking her purple streaked hair as she did so.

"I'm going to ignore the fact that you didn't call me as soon as you got in last night, even though I waited up until two for you to do so." She told me. "Instead, I'm getting my payback now, by waking you up at seven."

I gawked at her. Seven? In the morning?

"But that means that you only had five hours sleep!" I protested.

"I'm fine." She shrugged. "Besides, I want to hear all about it."

I rolled my eyes at her.

"Gina," I began. "It was just a dance rehearsal."

"A dance rehearsal with only you and the hot choreographer." She interrupted. "And, I'm guessing he took Bryce's part of the routine? Which means he had to support you during the jump."

I nodded slowly as Gina's face broke out into a big smile.

"So, knowing you," she concluded. "There had to be lots of falling down, and lots of landing on top of Jesse's abs of steel."

I felt my face burn bright red.

"Hey!" I cried. "I so did not topple over!"

"Really?" She raised an eyebrow. "'Cos there's a bandage on your face which says otherwise."

I raised my hand to my bandage-covered nose and probed it gently.

"Oh, shut up."

Gina laughed.

"I knew it!" She exclaimed, jumping on my bed before finally sitting down cross-legged. "So, details please."

I yawned loudly.

"Gina, I love you and all, but it's seven in the morning and I -" She cut me off.

"Exactly! We only have three hours until rehearsal. I need to know every little thing that happened, so that I know exactly how to act."

I opened my mouth to object.

"And I'm not leaving until you tell me."

Finally relenting, I sat opposite her on the bed and began to relay everything I could remember from last night.

--- --- ---

It turned out that Jesse had decided to overwork Bryce after all, much to Gina's, Cole's and my amusement. Even if Cole was slightly confused as to why Jesse was putting Bryce through all of this, he still found it funny. Which was more than could be said for Bryce himself.

Jesse had the poor boy spinning on the floor, then jumping up to get himself in position for the next move. Each time Bryce performed it perfectly, barely even breaking a sweat, only to have Jesse bark at him.

"Again." He ordered, hiding a smirk when Bryce fell gracefully down to the floor in order to carry out Jesse's demands.

Jesse winked at me surreptitiously over Bryce's spinning form, making me smile and Gina, who had also caught the act, nudge me in the side suggestively.

"Alright," Jesse said through a chuckle. "That's enough Bryce. Good work." That last part was spoken a little begrudgingly, like Jesse didn't want Bryce to know that he'd done well.

I glared at Jesse, reminding him of what he'd promised me - mainly not to overwork Bryce. He shrugged at me sheepishly and I shook my head. It was hard to stay mad at Jesse, he was too cute, too hot, too sexy - especially when he was using his strong, muscled arms to keep me suspended in the air above him …

"Everybody, take your starting positions." I jumped up with Gina and Cole to do as Jesse had said, before he caught my arm and pulled me back gently. "Nice try, Miss Simon, but not you. Sit out and watch."

I huffed indignantly. Hadn't I showed him that I was perfectly capable of performing the routine just last night? Or if it was because he was hesitant over Bryce supporting me in the jump, then he really didn't have to be. I'd finally learnt to overcome Jesse distracting me. The one-on-one rehearsal yesterday had totally cured me of that.

Jesse just looked at me pointedly and I took a seat behind him, out of the rehearsal space. At least this seat gave me a perfectly good view of his back. And other things …

And from the way Jesse kept glancing at me from the corner of his eye, he knew damn well what I was doing.

Well, all's fair in love and war.

Jesse took the others through the routine, ending with the jump - which Gina and Cole had to perform as well, only they'd been doing stuff like that for years together. It was second nature for them to trust each other.

I was so distracted by my unobstructed view of Jesse, that I didn't realise that Paul Slater himself had entered the room and was sitting rather close beside me. I shied away uneasily.

He'd alerted me to his presence only when he'd applauded the end of the routine.

"I knew I'd picked the right people for this video," he stated loudly. "Only, why isn't Suze dancing, Jesse?"

Hearing Paul Slater call me Suze was a bit strange. I didn't even know the guy.

"Oh, it was my own decision." I directed Paul's attention back to me. Jesse looked like he was getting angry at Paul's familiarity towards me. "Didn't want to risk hurting myself even more, you know?"

I gestured to my nose and shrugged nonchalantly.

Paul stepped closer to me and raised his hand so that it lingered over my nose.

"Yeah," he sympathised. "I saw you rush through the studio yesterday. Kelly and I were worried."

Kelly? My nose wrinkled in confusion for a second before realisation hit me. Ah, Kelly Prescott. The Princess of Pop to Paul's Prince. Figured they'd be together. They match so perfectly its untrue. For one, they both think that they can sing when they so can't.

"Well, if you need any extra rehearsals with a partner who'll care more about your safety…" He glanced over at Bryce who had performed the routine by himself - it wasn't hard to come reach the conclusion that he was my partner. He shuffled uncomfortably when he felt Paul's gaze on him. "I'm here for you."

I stepped away from him.

"Thanks for the offer." I smiled at Paul, whilst keeping my eye on Jesse so that he wouldn't do anything stupid and get fired. His fists were clenched up at his sides and he looked about ready to attack. "But I'm alright for the routine."

"Really?" Paul asked not taking the hint and stepping closer to me yet again. "Want to give me a private showing?"

Ew. This guy gave me the creeps.

"I'm busy later." I stuttered trying not to give Jesse a reason to throw a punch. I could feel the gazes of everybody in the room on me. Including the ghostly one of Josefina who had appeared shortly after Paul had made his presence known to me. "My Step-Brother's coming to town."

I saw Gina smile dreamily. Not that she'd admit to it later.

"Alright." He finally realised that I was trying to get away from him and stepped backwards. I let out a whoosh of air as Jesse's face started to return to its normal colour. "I get it. I'll see it soon enough, I suppose. You guys begin rehearsal with me next week."

There was nods of agreement from my fellow dancers as Jesse remained statue-still as he glared at Paul. Paul raised an eyebrow in return.

"Keep up the good work."

They were Paul's parting words to us as he let the door slam shut behind him.

"Alright guys," Jesse sighed. "Let's call a break. Be back here in an hour."

I began packing up my stuff together.

"Susannah?" Jesse inquired of me. "A word please?"

I smiled to myself.

"Sure. Go on ahead Gina. I'll catch you up."

She winked at me and left with the two boys.

"Another rehearsal?" Jesse asked me, unaware of the smile adorning his sister's face as he wrapped his arms around my waist, his hands resting on my hips. "Tonight? Same time at your hotel?"

He punctuated his question with a kiss.

"Mmm," I shook off the haze he'd put me into. "Can't. My step-brother really is coming into town. Gina thought it would be a good idea to call them when I visited the emergency room."

Jesse pouted before trailing kisses up the column of my throat.

"Get away from them?" He asked, distracting me.

"Jesse, I'd love to. But I really can't. Tomorrow?" I asked.

"There's a group rehearsal."

"Cancel it. We can spend the whole day together. Alone." I smiled up at him.

"I like the sound of that. Alright." He agreed. "But, bring your bathing suit."

He finally let me out of his grip.

"Why?" I asked as I picked up my bag again.

"We're going to practise the jump again." He told me.

I span around to look at him.

"I know it, Jesse! Besides, that needs a bathing suit?"

He shrugged in faux-innocence.

"It does if you want to practise in a lake, like I plan on doing."

My eyes widened as I realised what he was saying. Practising the jump in a lake? How totally Dirty Dancing! How could I say no?

I nodded at him excitedly as I tore out of the room, blowing him a kiss before I left. Jesse laughed and Josefina waved at me happily. I nodded in her direction when Jesse's eyes were shut.

"Bye Jesse!" I called.

"See you in an hour, querida."

--- --- ---

The second rehearsal passed by pretty ordinarily. Jesse, of course, made me sit out and watch again. He was just being ridiculous now. He knew I could do the routine without hurting myself, he just didn't want me to dance with Bryce. I was going to have to practise with him sooner or later.

I was considering arranging that date with him after all, just to get Jesse to see that I meant business. But I wasn't that cruel.

It ended, as was becoming custom, with a few stolen kisses from Jesse.

"Tomorrow?" He asked. "Outside of your hotel at ten?"

"It's a date."

Jesse smiled and kissed me again.

"That it is."

We kissed once more before pulling apart and Jesse let me go and meet Jake.

Not that I could concentrate. It didn't matter anyway, after Jake had torn into the hotel's parking lot in his brand-new Camaro, all of his attention had been focused on Gina. He'd only looked at me briefly, nodding at my nose-cast and saying only one word :

"Ouch."

I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, I'm fine, thanks." I muttered sarcastically to myself.

Gina raised an eyebrow at me before returning to - ew - kissing Jake. I really didn't see his appeal.

Well, they could spend all day tomorrow together if they wished. I don't care. I have a date with Jesse. Though I could have had another one tonight if I'd known that Gina and Jake had planned on spending all of their time together kissing - there was no way I was going to be witness to that.