Disclaimer: I don't own, make no profit, and sometimes lose sleep. I doubt anyone wants to sue for that.
:}
"Fuck!" Jade hissed. "I need to talk to her."
"Not now, we're landing." Ryder said, buckling his seat-belt. Jade hadn't realized how long they'd been just enjoying the flight before she broached the subject.
The plane landed, then was directed to their gate, all while Jade wanted to have her moment with the boss. But someone had to oversee the disembarking of the whole cast and crew, while Trina made sure they had transport to the resort, as well as rooms for them when they got there. They had their own carousel for luggage, managing to recover everything very quickly. Still, what costumes they were taking had to be put on the (Large) bus and stowed for the trip, as well as getting everyone else through customs. While Jade and Ryder oversaw that, Trina had her own jobs to do, always spearheading while the bodyguards were shepherding. It kept Jade from having that few moments she felt she'd need to speak to Trina, work things out before they spun out of control. Ryder watched Tori as Jade got the crew to help load the bus, followed almost immediately by them boarding in an orderly fashion. She had her first moment of peace when they were on the bus, heading to the resort, Tori reading her phone at her side. "Guys, we have the whole place to ourselves. Well, almost. You'll see." Trina announced.
Jade worked her way up past Malcolm to sit near Trina. "Boss, we need to talk."
"No, we don't." Trina replied. "It's too late now. Just, you know, be cool. Don't bring it up, Tori doesn't need to know."
Jade wasn't sure how much Trina knew, and what she should do about things if they went down hill, so she decided to just take the boss lady's advice and relax. 'Too late to do anything about it anyways.' She reasoned. But her knees still shook, and the inside of her stomach was starting to hurt, just a bit.
Then the short ride on the bus was over, and they disembarked onto the grounds of a small but secure resort hotel where they'd be staying while on the island. Jade was not the first off the bus, that was Bill, who made himself useful by helping the driver unload the luggage and distributing everything. It was amazing to see him and Ron, both so marginally useful as security, be such experts at the organization needed to get everyone off the bus and into the hotel as quickly as possible.
But once she did get off the bus, she saw Tori standing next to a medium height black man in very good shape. "Thats Andre." Trina pointed out. "I believe you know Cat." She pointed over to where the redhead was, distributing the key cards. "And over there is the thing we'll not be talking about." Trina pointed briefly before drifted away to take care of another issue.
Beck was walking out of the hotel, wearing only Bermuda shorts and an open Hawaiian shirt, while looking every bit as handsome as he ever did. Jade felt her heart skip a beat, as memories flooded her. Memories she'd sworn to put behind her. Steeling herself and putting on her bitch face, she made her way over to Tori to speak. "Vega, let me know if you need me. I'm gonna go speak with hotel security..."
"Don't worry about it, I already did that." The Black man, Andre, told her. "We spoke, went over everything, and we're good now. Just so you know, they've hired a couple of off duty cops to help tighten security here, and the grounds have twenty four seven camera and patrol security. They're gonna catch anyone who's not supposed to be here."
"We gonna be wearing identification badges or something?" The raven haired girl asked.
"No need, they have all our pictures, and can check their data base. We're good." He informed her. "I'm Andre, by the way. I know you're Jade, cause I've seen your resume, and your picture. Nice to actualy meet you."
She was looking around, looking for something to do to get her away from this impending disaster. "Nice to meet you. You can call me Jade, but I wish Miss Vega here would call me..."
"I'll keep calling you Jade." Tori informed her.
"Anyways, these grounds are secure, so why don't you relax." The black bodyguard continued. "After all, this is as much our vacation as everyone else's. So you can just go get a room, get settled in, and relax a bit by the pool. I'll have someone call you before we have to head out to the sound check. Tonight we relax, do the show, then tomorrow morning we fly out the next gig. You have a couple of hours, so relax. As I said, this part of the tour, security's tight. Biggest problems gonna be in Pueto Rico, and thats cause Tori here traces her ancestry there."
Jade nodded, turned and tried to make her way to Cat, wanting to get her key with as little fanfare as possible. She just wanted to go to her room and relax, let the whole melodrama of seeing Beck again pass without incident. 'Please, all I need is a gym to work out in, and maybe a balcony to relax on.' She begged to the gods above and below. But her prayers went unanswered.
"Tori, babe, I've been counting the day unti… Holy Chiz, Jade?" Beck Oliver, for the first time in Tori, or Jade's, memory, showed a human sense of surprise as he stood there, watching the bodyguard try to make a discreet exit.
"You know her?" Tori asked.
"Crap!" Jade muttered. "Hey, Beck, look, I can't talk, I kinda work for security, and I need to stow my chiz and get patrolling. But hay, I'll see you around, kay?"
"Wait, you knew her?" Tori asked, again. Jealousy was boiling in her, twisting her guts in ways she didn't quite understand. "How do you know her?" The words were frozen, a stark contract to her earlier, warm emotions. "Jade, wait. I want to know, how the fuck do you know my boyfriend? Maybe you bodyguarded for him in the past, on one of his many trips to New York?" The pop star was begging with her eyes, asking it be true.
"No." Jade's voice was small, barely a whisper. "Way back in the day, before he was on American Voice, we kinda... dated." The last word had held on her tongue, like it didn't want to come out.
For several moment, it felt like no one moved. The crew, the dancers, not even the hotel staff or the personal assistants, everyone seemed to have frozen in their spots, like somehow moving would cost them a precious piece of the puzzle. But as the seconds ticked by, and Jade debating just not unpacking, or begging for her job, promising it was years ago and she was over it, until Tori finally spoke. "She was the big breakup you had just before you and I met, right?" Her words still left an icy trail as they found their targets.
"Look, babe, it was a long time ago.." Beck started.
"And it probably had something to do with the fight Jade got into, right?" Tori pushed.
"I can explain..." Beck tried.
'Wait, SHE knows…?' Jade thought. It took all her training not to let panic take over, as she forced herself to calm down.
"Beck ran into the guys girlfriend, and the guy tried to pick a fight." Trina cut in, seeming to come from nowhere. "Jade told me all about it. Jade, while smarting over the breakup, still couldn't just let him get his ass wiped, so she stepped in. She tried to explain it to me, in the way Beck does when he has to make things clear, that she was defending the girlfriend. A girl who wasn't being hit upon by Beck, but comforted after failing to make the cut, cause you know the kind of shit Milton says to the contestants." The older girl gave a half smile that said a lot of the shared history to the singer, and Beck.
Trina then continued. "But, long story short, Jade got kicked off the show, but doesn't regret it because she felt she had the lower chance of making it. It was a clean break, and while they didn't remain friends, it was because their lives were going in such different directions. Of course, they'd tell you, but they haven't seen one another in about ten years, and old issues not related to American Voice still haunt them. So yea, tension. But Jade's a pro, while Beck loves you, so they'll agree to set things aside and be civil for your benefit. Everyone good?"
Jade stood there, not believing the excuse Trina just made up on the spot, despite how believable it was. Trina really did lack talent, as far as she could tell. 'Her skills at manipulating the public's perception must not depend on her acting talents.' The bodyguard thought. 'Then again, they seem to be buying it.' And it seemed that everyone was.
"Yay, everything good." Tori chirped, giving a little clap as she did a quick happy dance.
Beck let out a held breath, not sure what had just happened, but glad that for once, Trina was there to cover his ass. He then quickly pulled out his best smile, and beamed at his girlfriend. It was time to pour on the charm and remind her he was the thing she'd been looking forward to most about Bermuda.
The whole gathering of performers and behind the scenes people were once again moving, gathering their stuff and getting settled for now in the hotel. It was like the whole past between Beck and Jade never happened.
Jade got her things together, grabbed a key from Cat, went to her room, and unpacked. Then, she repacked, only leaving a fair amount in the room. She'd need enough to last the five days of touring plus returning, and the raven haired girl hated waiting for the last minute. However, once that was done, she was free to relax and enjoy herself. 'I'm getting payed to relax, how lucky is that. Then again, Vega likes to go sightseeing, and we're the one's who have to go with her. I'd better be ready for it if, no when, something happens.'
She was brought out of her thoughts about preparing for the worst by a knock at the door. The bodyguard had no idea who it could be knocking, since she had her earpiece, with it charged and in range, so anything Trina or this Andre fella wanted could have been handled that way. Cautiously, she opened the door, only to be stunned by the sight of Beck standing there, a big smile on his face, and THAT look in his eyes. "God, Jade, I forgot how good you look." He almost moaned.
Old feelings rushed forward. The feelings, the love she had for him, despite his wandering eye, even the sense of loyalty she'd felt when she stepped in front of that monster of a man who was dating the far-too-young-for-him girl at the American Voice tryouts. Jade had known she was likely to be tossed out, lose her chance. However, she was also very aware of Beck's lack of fallbacks. If something happened to him, if the handsome Canadian transplant fought, got his face mashed, then he'd have nothing. And Jade could tell, just by looking at the huge man picking the fight, that permanent damage was the goal. Beck never stood a chance. Even Jade, as good as she was back then, wasn't sure how she'd fare against the man. Beck would have lost, been beaten to a bloody pulp, and probably be disfigured. That would never do. "Beck..." She stepped back, unconsciously, letting him step into her room.
"I was thinking, we could probably find some time, if you like, to remind ourselves just how good it used to be..." He pushed her door open, stepping into the room, only for the girl to move forwards, stopping him before he was all the way in. "Anxious, are we? But it's better if we're inside, with a bit of privacy."
Other feelings were now rushing into the one time goths mind, like the betrayal she'd felt from him when he broke up with her. The memory, him saying "You won't be on the tour, so it's better if we just see other people," stung her. She was already hurting, with a bruised rib to go with the other, lesser injuries she'd sustained, so the loss of her boyfriend over the fight felt like a low blow. Then, less that three weeks later, he was an item with this hot young Latina, a charismatic singer and the eventual winner, Tori Vega. That hurt was far fresher, and stronger, then the old love she'd held onto for years, despite him being more narcissistic then romantic. It gave her strength to resist his charms, and the old feelings they invoked.
"No." She hissed, pushing him with one hand, forcing him out of her room. "I'm a bodyguard now. I work for Vega. I can't be screwing around with her boyfriend behind her back." She insisted.
"I'm just suggesting a bit of harmless fun." The actor defended himself. "And if it's the job, I could always use a discreet bodyguard who understands the limits of our relationship."
"No, Beck." Jade insisted. "That Shapiro guys gunning for Vega, and he'll use anything against her. He already said he thought I was a story, and I'm not burning bridges. I need this to work again in the future."
Beck, now outside the room and marveling at how strong she'd gotten since they'd last met, only nodded. "Okay, then can we be friends?" He asked, offering a consolatory smile. It felt like he gave in too quickly.
"I'd like that." She breathed, unsure of her voice. Then, louder. "I'd like that." She smiled, watching his own smile broaden. Hastily, she added "I don't break confidentiality. I'm not spying on Vega for you."
His smile faltered, only for a moment, then returned. "Wouldn't dream of asking." He said, and only her deep experience with him allowed her to read him, and know he was lying.
"I think she's been missing you." Jade added. "Maybe you should go spend some time with her?"
"Maybe." Beck replied, taking a step away from the beautiful bodyguard. "I'll see you around." He added as he started walking away.
"Man, that boy is a charmer." Cat said, alerting Jade to her presence. Somehow, the small girl had been just a short distance away, in her own doorway across the hall, and no one had noticed it open just a crack. "Glad you were able to put that past of your behind you. I'd hate to think that someone I recommended could hurt Tori like that."
"About that," Jade started, looking at the girl standing in her doorway, "Why is it you have the room across from me? I mean, I'd think that the bodyguards would be clustered near one another, while you'd be near Trina, in case she wanted to talk to you about business."
"Ahh, but this is a vacation." The petite girl shot back. "Trina understands that we're here, in this tropical paradise, to enjoy the warm water and sunshine. Besides, I'm not that far from Trina. As you said, the bodyguards are near the big suites, and thats where Tori, Trina, and Beck are bunkered down."
"Speaking off..." The raven haired girl said as she noticed Trina and Andre walking down the short hallway from their rooms. Cat watched too, not letting any of this slip past her. She seemed to like knowing what was going on in a gossip-y kind of way.
The duo walked to Jade's room, and looked back and forth between the two girls. "Jade, can we come in for a moment?" Andre asked.
Jade stepped back and let them into her room. It was big enough for the three of them to each take a seat, although one of them was sitting on the nice chair and the other two were on the wooden chair and the foot rest. Andre looked nervously out the girls window, overlooking a the ocean. "Jade, I know that the story Trina gave isn't true. I'm here to find out the truth."
"Whats to tell." Jade said, not looking to happy about this visit. "Am I being sent home?"
"That depends on the truth." Dre emphasized. "Look, we didn't know everything about your part in Beck's past, but we knew most of it. He broke it off with his girlfriend of over two years so the producers wouldn't think badly of him if he started having some discreet fun with the groupies. Then he and Tori hooked up, and they've been together for a long time now. But the thing is, Beck does tend to wander, just a touch, and you have a history with him."
"Ask Cat about that." Jade deadpanned. Then, after seeing the confusion growing on her guests faces adding "She just saw him trying to talk his way into my room. Sad, I wanted to let him in. But when he dumped me, back then, he hurt me, in ways I'm still recovering from. But if this is about if we can coexist, then ya, I'm a professional. I won't let my feelings get in the way."
"Why were you in that fight?" Trina asked.
"Cause Beck couldn't have taken that guy, and that guy would have messed up Becks face just to make a point." Jade explained.
"Was Beck really just consoling her?" Andre asked.
"No." Trina replied. "Sorry, but even I know the boy has trouble staying committed."
"Did you really not have that great a chance?" Andre tried again.
"Not important." Jade replied. Not breaking eye contact with Trina.
"Jade, we're not sending you home, but while there here, maybe you should keep a little distance from Tori." Trina advised. "I'll suggest we swap bodyguards for the time we're in Bermuda, so she and Beck can have there fun and you won't be forced to watch your ex with his new girl."
"Thanks." Jade said, amazed she would go along with that recommendation. "Anything else? And thanks for believing me."
"I just wanted to be sure you could handle your ex being here." Trina said. "You've been a very good bodyguard, and I'm expecting more from you as we hit the rest of the world. Remember, in the middle east, you don't use intimidation, you let the guys do that, and only resort to force when necessary."
Jade nodded. Then three text alerts went off, letting her know that she, along with both Trina and Andre, had been sent texts. A quick read let them know that Tori was having a quick dance party at the pool, starting in ten minutes, and everyone was both invited and expected to show up. It was to celibate being so close tot he end of the first leg of the tour, as well as the nice resort. "Really, a dance?" She asked.
"Look at the dress code." Andre pointed out. "Sorry, but we're gonna have to find a way to be on duty in Bermuda shorts."
"Lucky you." Jade groused, checking her dress code. "Really, a bikini? I get less material to cover more ground."
"I'm looking forward to that." Andre muttered, only to be slapped, gently, by Trina.
"Better get changed, cause it looks like we have a party to attend." Trina said, smirking.
Andre added "It's for the best. It makes her happy, helps her relax, and we'll be heading from the pool party almost directly to the venue for tonight's performance, so it'll keep her relaxed, give us a better show."
"And they'd be okay with us traveling to sound check, or the show, in swimming suits?" The dark haired girl asked.
"Happens here all the time." Dre assured her. "All the time." They then left to let her get changed.
Jade just shrugged and went about getting changed. She had an appropriate suit, for in case she had some time off. After all, she was proud of her body, and she was a Jersey girl, so she felt okay showing it off, just a little. 'Besides, the suit was a gift.' She reminded herself. She usually chose one piece suits to preserve a bit of modesty. 'Like there's anything those suits hide. I mean really…' She thought as she grabbed a towel, her sunscreen, and everything else she would need. It didn't take long for her to get to the pool area, but by then the party was in full swing.
Andre had been ready, already dressed appropriately, from before the moment the text came in inviting everyone to this little dance. Trina sent him ahead to make sure the security was solid, as well as making sure the people showing up didn't got out of hand. While he was doing that, she was checking the timetables, making sure they had enough time for this dance, and would be able to make it to the show that evening on time. She also needed to get changed, meeting the dress code that had to come from Beck and not her sister. However, after checking the schedule, she found that everything tracked, with a good couple of hours or food, fun and then a race over for the sound check before the actual show.
Unlike most days, they'd have to go over the stage with the dancers and other performers, so everyone would know how to adjust the various dances that went with her songs. That required just a touch of extra time, as well as requiring everyone to be there. But for Dre, at the venue, this would be a chance to relax and see how security was doing while he was gone. He wasn't thinking about that too much as he settled in for a bit of fun before they had to go. 'Time enough to evaluate security when we get there.' He reminded himself.
The resort hadn't provided a DJ, just a place where someone could play music from a large selection on a computer. Dre assigned himself the DJ position, and stated having fun playing with the mixer, making his own beats. The one time musician enjoyed these rare moments of creativity. Slowly, the dancers and crew filed in, already getting down to the music he was playing. "Guys, we have a set already made, so the crew gets to stay here if you're not helping with the show in some way." The crew chief was saying. "I've posted who does what tonight, so everyone check that out, and those acting as extra security, check in with Ryder to see your assignments."
"No, we need all hands for extra security." Andre corrected the head roadie. "Sorry, but tonight, we all work. Then we go repeat in four other places before coming back here and really relaxing. And Ronda, nice suit. Please remember, there are no topless beaches on this island."
Tori was sitting with Beck, enjoying the music as well as the buffet style late lunch the resort had provided, impressive given the short notice. Andre had been watching her, making sure that the jerk of a boyfriend of hers didn't decide to talk her into doing it someplace public. This was not the place to try that kind of thing. For a resort island, they could be very repressed sometimes.
While what Andre had told Jade was true, it wasn't uncommon for entertainers to go straight to the show in beachwear, the locals were surprisingly puritan about dress. If they wanted to go someplace away from the beaches, or sightseeing, they'd need to put a bit more on. The only bus they could get away with being so scantly dressed was their own charted buss, with it's shaded windows.
Andre was caught in his own thoughts, when he noticed something that was a far bigger surprise then Beck's expected reaction to the various scantly clad girls. No, the big surprise for the dark skinned man was watching Tori's eyes when Jade made her appearance. The bodyguard was late, having sited the need to do a perimeter check, making sure the hotel security hadn't left any holes that would allow a threat, or paparazzi, to slip in and take advantage. It meant she'd be about ten minutes late, but also she'd be able to make an entrance, if she so chose. So when the raven haired girl walked into the pool area, walking in past the buffet in her blue bikini, everyone had the chance to see her. And in that moment, she looked dangerous, beautiful, and confident. Tori, it seemed, couldn't take her eyes of the girl. If Beck wasn't so busy undressing the bodyguard with his eyes, he'd have seen what looked like Tori doing the exact same thing.
'This just made things interesting….' Andre thought, fighting back an evil smile that threatened to replace the neutral one on his face.
Meanwhile, Robbie's spy at the resort was sending him a short video of Tori, and Beck's, reaction to Jade's appearance. It included a pan over from the raven haired girl walking in, only to glance over and see the two, both staring, with a hungry look on their eyes that screamed desire. Both performers quickly covered, but the video showed enough.
Later, after the video was seen, the spy would receive a text asking for more information. It wasn't proof, just hinting at both Beck's infidelities, something he'd been able to deny up until that point due to his skillful manipulation of events. The video did, however, also hint at Tori's interest in girls. The latter being of almost as much interest to the gossip monger as the former.
Text to Robbie: Then why hasn't she made a pass, or had a fling, with one of the dancers?
Text from Robbie, to spy: Because she's not that kind of girl. If we want to prove she's into girls, we need to break her and that jerkface up. Keep me posted.
Text to Robbie from the spy: Seriously, stop being so evasive and tell me your true feelings about Beck.:)
And in his office, in Los Angeles, the blogger laughed, sending a text that had nothing to do with either Beck or Tori.
The whole party, up until Trina started rounding people up, passing out complimentary sweatpants and shirts, Beck was next to Tori, acting all lovey and holding hands. The things he whispered in her ear sometimes made her blush, and more then once she slapped him lightly on the arm, clear signs that they were working up to renewing their acquaintance in a little while. Jade, who was watching the two of them, just pushed whatever jealousy aside and focused on her job. 'I'm protecting Vega, but from what I got from Beck's visit today, maybe I need to protect her from him…' She wondered. 'I'll have a talk with Trina tonight, during the concert.' Decided, she allowed herself to relax a bit before being handed a t-shirt and sweatpants, and being sent to help round up the others who might have wandered off.
That evening, as Tori was tearing it up on stage, Jade approached Trina. "Can we talk, in private?" she asked.
"This is as private as it gets." Trina replied. Malcolm made himself scarce, walking across the room to speak with Kasey. "So, as long as we don't make a big deal of it, and no one walks in on us, we're good.."
"Okay, there's something about Beck I'm kinda ashamed of.." The bodyguard started.
"He sleeps around like it's his job?" The older woman asked. "Did he do that to you? Man, I wish I'd known that back then. Might have stopped Tori from hooking up with him."
"So you know?" The blue eyed girl was stunned.
"Yea, I'm the one who has to clean up after him." Trina admitted. "He's getting better, but sometimes it feels like he enjoys making me talk to..." She took a deep breath. "I have a deal with Lucy Spiller, of Dirt magazine."
"Isn't it DirtNow?" Jade asked.
"It's still a sleazy tabloid, they just use that, the merger with the more legitimate Now magazine, to pay for a smidgen of honest journalism." Trina replied. "But I give her stuff, don't worry about what, and she makes sure Beck's liaisons are never major news. Now, as Tori's bodyguard, it's your job to keep these things secret. I know you might hate him… Do you?"
"Hates a strong word." The bodyguard replied. "Strongly dislike with lingering feelings of love. That, and a desire to rip his manhood off and feed it to a shark."
"Okay, don't let it get to you that he's nailing Tori." Trina finished. "I'd have her on an IUD, but I'm worried about the diseases he's carrying around. So he and Tori are together, for ten fucking years now, and the public is wondering why they haven't tied the knot. But he won't sign a prenup, and I'm not giving him half of everything just to break her heart."
"Maybe she could survive the breakup?" The raven haired girl asked. "If you managed it right?'
"Then he spills." Trina replied. "Besides, Tori doesn't know it was an act, and I think she really loves him. I'm stuck in a mess of my own making. But, thats not our problem. Not right now. You just make sure you don't let this get to you, and while we're here, I'll be using you as my bodyguard. That cool?"
"Yes ma'am." The other girl said, turning to watch the stage. 'It's all an act? Why does that make sense, at least on Beck's part? Never was the one girl type, so yea, it makes a lot of sense. Poor Tori…'
After the performance, the whole gang retreated to the hotel, where the crew settled in for a relatively early night. There was no after party for the show, not when they'd be flying out in the morning. Even the crew played it safe, kept the drinking to a minimum. And while there were local power players who wanted to congratulate Tori, they'd wait until the party just before the tour left for Europe. So instead, Tori and her people went back to the hotel and settled in for a long nights sleep.
Trina was annoyed to receive half a dozen texts from Jade that night, only to become enraged when she saw what the bodyguard was forwarding. "Okay, the dick pics could be anyone, but did he have to text a picture of him with Tori, naked?" The manager complained to the air. It was a side of Beck even she hadn't dealt with, often not wanting to know the extent of his depravities when she let Lucy deal with the cover up.
The next morning, it was hard to get Tori up. She'd spent the night pleasing a boyfriend who wasn't going with them. Not on this four plus day tour of the other islands. So they left early, to have time for a little fun, and in case the weather in the Caribbean was rough, causing delays. "Come on Vega, do I have to carry you?" Jade asked as she helped the near comatose starlet to the chartered bus.
"Sorry, Beck, I just didn't mean to scream. I just don't like the pain." Tori whimpered, still half asleep. It was low, something only Jade could hear cause she was holding the girl. "But if it makes you happy, I'll try again. Please, just say you love me. I'll be whatever you want, just say you love me. Please..."
"She's not dressed." Trina pointed out from across the bus. Tori was still in her pajamas, obvious to anyone looking. "Jade, once we take off, if you can, I'd like for you to take her someplace and get her changed."
"There's plenty of room In the luggage compartment." The bodyguard said, watching the starless. 'Come on, Vega, what did he do to you?'
With Bills help, they managed to get Tori onto the plane and into her seat. The girl whimpered some more, but didn't protest so much as silently cry, just a touch. It was almost unnoticeable, but totally heartbreaking. Something was hurting the girl.
:}
So, now we know Jade's relationship with Beck and Tori. You guys, some of you called it. But why oh why is Tori so out of it, and what kind of monster is her boyfriend? Guess well see, soon enough.
Review, cause I want you too. (Hay, it seems to work for four year olds. And some politicians.)