Alice
The chirp from her phone stirred her from her nap. Having a blast! Bella's text read. And you?
Alice took advantage of the fact that Bella had responded. "Catching up on some rest." She smiled at that. Take that as you will, she thought. Unfortunately, she hadn't heard anything about Bella's new husband, and Alice despised all this secrecy. She even talked to the producer about it, told her she would sign something, but please, please, please allow her to talk to her best friend. Unfazed, the producer told her that it could jeopardize the experiment if Bella and she met too quickly since friends tended to influence one another's opinions. Then she was reminded that once they were done with the honeymoons that they would reunite with not only the other ladies but with their new husbands as well. That would be in about 2 more days. Could she wait that long to talk to her bestie?
Alice felt his hand curl around her waist followed by Jasper's lips attaching themselves to her neck.
"You texting your boyfriend?" he joked.
"Nope," she said, turning to him as his lips fell into a lazy smile. Seeing him this way took her breath away. There wasn't a thing she could fault about him - his sexy voice, the way his blond locks felt against her fingers, his biceps. She wanted to see that chest - hoped there was a jacuzzi somewhere in this hotel. "Just my friend, Bella, who's also here honeymooning with her new husband."
"Your best friend is also….?"
"She and I got chosen as 2 of the 3 ladies, and I haven't been able to talk or text her. I just can't wait to see her again."
"This is a unique experience. These other guys I met - they're the only ones who can relate to what I'm going through."
"That's why Bella and I are so lucky. Our friendship will last years past the time the show is over. What about you, Jas? You haven't told me much about your friends."
He shrugged. "Had some buddies in the military. Not so much once I got out. I'm kind of a loner."
"Loner! Psssh." Though if she thought about it, it was easy to imagine with his serious nature. It reminded her that if he had a playful side, she'd not seen it. She supposed that was what the honeymoon was for - to help them learn and explore the different sides of their nature. "Not anymore."
He took her hand in his and began to kiss the skin on her knuckles and ventured up her wrist and further north. "Now you see…that's what I was hoping for."
That graduated quickly to kissing, and things may have escalated further when he climbed onto her, and she struggled to peel the shirt off him. Then the dreaded call came through from the producer, who was standing outside the door. Followed by loud knocking.
"Do you think if we just ignore them they'll go away?" he whispered, peeling his lips from hers.
The producer's voice called out, "Jasper and Alice? We're ready for you."
Full of dread, she got up and stood at the door. Since they'd forgone the afternoon plans, they still had the horse-drawn carriage tour booked for them.
"We're not ready," Alice said, and Jasper's arms snaked around her waist and his lips landed at the hollow of her neck.
"Meet us downstairs in 10 minutes. We're on a schedule," she warned. "You two, please, we have tried to accommodate you and would appreciate your cooperation in return."
Which was a nice way of saying that, hey, you both signed a contract, agreed to ten thousand conditions, and you'd better do as you agreed because we have expensive lawyers.
"Fine, fine," Alice said, meeting the disappointment in Jasper's eyes. As much as he felt it, she felt it more. "We'll be down soon."
With a sigh, Jasper pulled some clothes from his suitcase, and when he tugged off his shirt, at last she got a peek at the muscles on his chest. Unfortunately, she found a few scars that accompanied them.
She traced one that stretched across his chest. And the more she looked, the more she noticed the faded lines that told the tale of battle. "What happened?" she asked him.
"Iraq," he said.
"So, you're really not gonna tell me?"
"Some things aren't worth sharing, Alice, and I hope that you'll forgive me. I managed to get out of there with a minimal amount of PTSD."
Oh. "Okay, I understand. I can let that be…for now."
She pulled on a dress and strappy sandals, and they headed out. It made her uneasy that this part of his life he wanted to keep from her. Healing began when you faced your demons. Though, she had to admit he'd faced a pretty huge demon now with the smoking.
The tour took them through one of the key sightseeing places to see - where they viewed the cemeteries and weathered brick buildings which were rich with history. It was hard to gauge his expression that ranged from awe at the old structures and the stories written on the gravestones of former military captains and generals. While she saw moments in time that shaped their present, it went a little deeper for him, having understood exactly the sacrifice those soldiers had given for their convictions.
"You okay?" she asked as they walked through the streets and into the town squares. He held her hand, somber as he pointed out some of the history she remembered.
"I just…am looking forward to getting away from that part of my life."
"Right. So you retired from the military. What do you want to do now?"
"Well, I was thinking of going back to college. Maybe pursuing a teaching degree. I like to think I could influence young minds not only from history but also guide them to a better way of thinking."
"Like a high school History teacher?"
He smiled. "Yeah."
"That sounds so incredibly sexy."
"Really?"
"Yes!"
He told her that he didn't have more than a year left of college to get his bachelor's degree, and she agreed this might be just the right career path for him. His demeanor, his understanding, his sensitivity just seemed so well suited to it. Plus, she could picture it - getting home from a busy day at work, Jasper grading papers at the kitchen table- nothing short of amazing.
"What about you?" he asked. "Did you always know you wanted to be an interior designer?"
"Yes."
"Is that one of those psychic things?"
"Yes."
His thumb caressed her knuckles and they swung their hands as they walked toward the riverfront. "Tell me more about that."
"I guess I've always been intuitive…known who to stay away from, who not to trust, somewhat, but it's always an urge to try this or that. Sometimes, I'll get the nudges and they'll kind of propel me to see it through. And then there are times when I just see that something is going to work out…or not work out."
"Like the show?"
"When I saw the ad for the show, I was hit like a bolt of lightning. There was no question. Hasn't that ever happened for you?"
"It was kind of similar for me. Though, it seemed like a crazy idea, but it was just the right kind of crazy. Have you had visions?"
"Yes."
He nudged her. "Tell me."
"Well, I couldn't see your face, but I saw your hair and your height. And similar to Bella, I saw that she met her match here through this show. That she was going to be so happy. That was why she agreed to my dragging her here. It was our destiny."
"Is it working out for her?"
Alice shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. She says she's having a blast."
He smiled. "This is probably the part where they cut to her story and show how she's having the time of her life." The camera had been watching them, filming as they walked. "Have you ever been wrong?"
"Mmm…not really. But, sometimes I don't have the details right. And, I think that a person's free will plays a part."
"Well, I can tell you, Alice, it just feels good to be around you. You have a lightness to you. With most people it's so heavy I just can't be around them for long."
"Thank you, Jasper. It feels good to be around you too." She stopped and faced him and planted her lips on his in front of God and everybody. The sun was setting on the horizon and there was plenty of daylight still, and apart from the cameras, the riverwalk was crowded with tourists. Ignoring the camera, she relished his lips as his fingers threaded into hers. A person whistled at them and they broke apart. Not that they were clueless about their surroundings and were unaware that America would be watching them sometime in the future from the comfort of their homes, but it was nice to just enjoy the moment. She looked forward to more moments like this…privately.
Alice and Jasper smiled at each other, knowing this was coming, though they'd skirted around the issue, Alice had hoped that on the night of the wedding that both the producer and all of America would have assumed they had slept together.
They'd just finished a sumptuous dinner at a famed haunted restaurant, and with their hands latched together, it was all they could do to escape the cameras so they could finally have that time alone. The producer wanted to film them together this time and ask them a question. Of course Alice knew what the question would be, and since the two had not had time to collaborate, this was just thrown upon them as soon as they'd finished dessert. So, here they were, seated on two stools with the show's banner as the background.
The producer didn't waste too much time as Jasper and Alice stared back at the cameras. "Well, you two? How about you tell us the answer to the million dollar question?"
Jasper looked completely rattled. "Come again?"
Alice's eyes narrowed, and she squeezed Jasper's hand, hoping he would let her do the talking. Was it America's business if they slept together? Apparently it was.
She feigned innocence. "What's that?"
"There's been speculation, according to our footage about whether the marriage has been consummated."
Jasper looked to Alice, and his expression turned sheepish. "Well, you know, a gentleman never tells."
"The chemistry between the two of you is off the charts," the producer said. "Anyone can see the heat coming off of you. But, still, clarification is in order, and as you know, it is part of the process…nothing at all to be ashamed about. After all, the two of you are legally married."
Alice looked to Jasper, and he was shaking his head no, as if to say that it was none of their damn business, but Alice knew better. The fact of the matter was it had been twice now that they'd deceived the show - they may have done the deed a number of times if they hadn't been interrupted, but now, they were here and forced to confront the embarrassing truth.
"We have not," Alice said. Jasper's eyes darted down and shook his head. "Sorry, it's just kind of private…and we haven't had time…with all that was going on…" Alice saw Jasper's jaw clench. She didn't want to blame it on his nicotine addiction, but that kind of killed the mood that first morning, and since he hadn't slept, they'd both passed out upon the arrival in Savannah, and now, here they were, having to explain why they hadn't had sex. Apparently, Jasper was taking this personally. His hand felt limp in her hand, and all of the passion they'd shared during dinner had faded as if they'd just thrown a bucket of ice water in their faces.
"It's my fault," Jasper said. "Don't blame her."
"We are not blaming anyone," the producer said. "We just wanted to help. If you need assistance in that department…"
"We don't," Jasper said tightly.
"Okay, no need to get upset. This is a standard check-in we do with all the couples."
Alice would have loved to call bullshit on that one, but she hadn't watched all 10 of the seasons that had been aired. She only had to go on the contracts that had been signed and had given away her privacy to meet the man of her dreams. Was it worth it so far? Absolutely. "As a matter of fact, I planned on seducing him tonight," she said.
Jasper faced Alice this time. "Come again?"
She smiled and winked. "Well, I hope to. But you know, you gotta start somewhere."
The skin of his neck turned the most adorable shade of pink.
"We're glad to hear that…and just to be sure…are you declining assistance from our sex therapist?"
"We decline," they both said at once.
Making a show out of rubbing her hand on his, she looked to the camera. "Now, can we get out of here?"
"Absolutely. Have fun, you two."
Jasper remained silent as he followed behind Alice. With the camera following them back to their hotel they kept their conversation neutral, commenting about the broken pavement or the willow trees with the spanish moss.
Holding hands, they stood before each other, and while the presence of the camera man was not there, the green light on the ceiling camera was a bright round circle that indicated they were filming. These greedy bastards, she thought. They literally wanted to film that seduction. She had to make it good.
"We don't have to do this because they want us to," Jasper told her.
"Do you want to?"
"Well, yeah…of course…if you do."
"Oh, I want to very much."
They stared at each other, awkwardly, not knowing how to continue.
"How about some wine?" Jasper said.
Alice wondered if he was this shy without the camera here. "Yes. Wine would be perfect."
He poured them two glasses and they took a sip. But there was something else - the way his eye twitched and his hands were a little shaky. Withdrawals.
"Jas…are you okay?"
"Of course, I'm okay. I'm great." He leaned in to kiss her and she pulled him away.
"It might be time to change your patch."
He blinked and drew a breath, and she regretted it as soon as she said it. "I don't want to be the reason we don't…."
"You won't."
She took another swallow from her wine, and asked him to remove his shirt. When she pulled off the patch, his brows drew together.
"Sorry, this is kind of a mood killer," Jasper said, turning away from her. Under his breath, he was berating himself for his addiction, for his weakness.
"It doesn't have to be." She ripped the corner of the wrapper open with her teeth. "Come here. Let me kiss it and make it better." She set her lips on the white square of skin where the old patch had been and then very carefully lay a new one in its place. At once he relaxed, closing his eyes.
"Thank you," he said, reaching out to her.
"Hands at your side, Major," she said.
Jasper stiffened, and his hands retreated flat against his hips. "Alice, you don't have to…"
"Shhhh," she said, approaching him. "I find you so sexy, and I'm so attracted to you that I want to just rip all the clothes from your body."
"Permission granted."
With a smile, she peeled off his shirt and ran a single finger along his shoulder, at which he shivered.
Out of the corner of her eye, she noted that the green light flashed - the reminder that once she gave the signal, the connection would be cut and they would then be on their own to resume their business privately.
She kissed his shoulder and then ran her finger along his scars, but as soon as her finger rounded his hardened nipple, he closed in on her with his lips, pulling her in tightly against him. She jumped into his arms, curling her legs around his waist, and when she gave the camera a thumbs up, the flashing green light turned to red.
A/N: Thanks for reading and hanging in there with me. Much more to come! Thanks as well for the follows and the reviews! I love hearing from you and your perceptions and predictions. Stick with me for more. Up next, we return to Vegas and revisit Emmett and Bella.
