An Angel's Fix Pt. 09

"I'm sorry." His voice was gruff with desire. Sam rested his forehead on her cheek. "I'm sorry. I couldn't help it."

She patted his head. "Ahem. It's okay, I almost couldn't, either." He lifted his head away and stared painfully into her eyes. Jasmine understood the look and was sure she was mirroring it back to him. "I want to, I really do. But, getting involved with you will make what I have to do all that much harder."

"They'd understand if you changed your mind and didn't," Sam protested.

"Yes, they would, but I'd never forgive myself for going so far and stopping."

Sam tore himself an inch further away and repeated his earlier question. "So, how many chances are left?"

"Joe and I find out tomorrow afternoon on our 'date.' But, by my memory, there's only two left. If that's the case, I'm going full-amp on it, and taking both at once." She noted the concern in his eyes. "You remember what I've said I know I have to do to make this work?" He nodded with great sadness. "Can you wait for me until after?"

Sam's chest puffed as he inhaled a large breath, then released it through his nose in a prolonged sigh. "It'll hurt me to watch you go through with it, you know that. But, because it's you and I know your heart, of course I'll wait."

She flashed a grateful smile loaded with sorrow. "Thanks." Her fingers trailed down the wet fabric over his chest and she cocked her head in curiosity. "When did Carter change their uniforms?"

"They haven't."

"But you're not in a coat and tie?"

Sam's eyes smiled. "Carter ended the security detail on Joe. It seems that chatter has lost interest in him. So, Ashley hired me yesterday." He read the flash of emotion across her face. "Boy, y'all love keeping secrets from each other," he chuckled.

"Touche. But, you can't fault her intuition, huh? There was trouble today, wasn't there? I saw the cruisers."

"She's not selfish, I think she hired me to keep me around for you. As for today, don't worry, just a little crowd control. Some reporters were nosing around after all the attention ESPN gave her last night."

A light went on in Jasmine's head. "So she wasn't kidding when she told Julie yesterday you were her bodyguard?"

Sam stood up and chuckled again. "And to think you tease her for being slow sometimes."

"Shut up," Jasmine grinned as she accepted the hand he offered to help her to her feet. "Meet you at the party?"

"Yup."

Lunch in the club was lighthearted. The tables had been lined up and everybody sat around the assembled piece like one big happy family. Final introductions were made and the girls enjoyed the many glances the single players threw them. Mostly Julie and Jill noticed them, Jasmine was happy that Sam's gaze from the corner usually fell to her. The servers hired for the event set full plates before them, and Ashley tasted familiarity.

"This steak is just like yours, Joe," she commented.

Joe gave a satisfied grin. "I hope so, it's my recipe."

Jasmine cut off the question from Ashley's opened mouth. "He bought the club when he bought the penthouse."

Ashley's eyebrows fretted. "Then who the hell did we pay when we rented this place for my practices?! What kind of scam is the manager..." She stopped short when she saw Kim snickering, and cast a look her way.

Kim was full-on laughing now. "I didn't pay, as much as put it on the schedule."

Ashley shot a look at Joe. "When do you have time to run this?"

He shook his head. "I'm more like a silent owner. The manager knows his stuff, and I haven't had to do a thing. Well, except hire kitchen staff for special occasions."

"When do you vet the staff? I mean, going through applications isn't quick. Or easy."

"The culinary school at FSU has been most accommodating," he said simply.

The topics moved on to more pleasant things, humorous stories from campus, football, or the sorority. When the chatting died off, Jasmine turned on the large TV's and the club's DVR. She skipped through most of the GameDay program, as the previews of yesterday's games were moot now. The room cheered when she stopped the fast-forward at a situational piece done about the host school. Gorgeous shots of Spanish moss dripping from live oaks on campus panned across the screen while a reporter gave an abbreviated history of the school. The story turned to what put the school on the map for good, football, and the glory days of Bobby Bowden. Eventually it made its way to the present, focusing on the new starter quarterback, along with footage of Ashley's announcement. That segued into Ashley's talent and popularity on campus while clips played from her jam session and the street party she was hired for. Her relationship to Joe was accounted for, which segued back to his history. High school playing days and the scouting fever over him were recounted. Then the music turned more somber when the story turned to the loss of his parents. A snapshot of the difficult press conference he held was shown, and Ashley could be seen off to the side, holding up her cell phone to record it. The reporter breezed through Joe inheriting his parents' company, taking it public, attempting to back away from it, but then being voted in as chairman of the board. The story told of him missing football, and his return last year as receiver. Then were shots of the fumble that he miraculously turned into a touchdown pass, followed by more interesting clips from the spring game.

The main crew returned to comment on Joe's busy life and debated his return to football, and whether the ability would be there long-term. The debate kicked up a notch when Kirk mused whether Ashley would be a distraction. He noted that not only was she magazine cover attractive, her new found stardom from the blockbuster and the associated lifestyle would surely keep her away from home for stretches. Lou Holtz countered that she wasn't just a trophy girlfriend, they were married. That alone affords stability. Further, he believed Joe carried a maturity gained from dealing with the loss of his parents and being thrown in to run a large military contractor. The panel finally agreed that in the end, only the season playing out could determine if Joe could keep his focus.

Jasmine zipped through the commercials and the segment recapping the day so far. She let it play when Brent Musburger and Kirk Herbstreit appeared to broadcast the game. They ran through the strengths and weaknesses of each team, pointing out key players. The audience in the club gave cheers whenever one of them was mentioned. After a commercial break, Brent said that the big story of the day for this game was Joe Smith. He played capably as a possession receiver last year, but could he convert to leading the team as quarterback? Kirk reminded the audience that Joe was a star quarterback in high school, taking his team to the state finals. But, could he keep his personal and business life distractions from affecting his performance on the field? The screen flashed to a camera that had trained on Ashley in the student section, surrounded by girls. "How can that redhead, who's now a pop star, NOT be a distraction to a young man?" he posed. Musburger replied, "Well, you can see she has the attention of all the schoolmates around her. And, we saw earlier that Joe acknowledged her during warmups." The camera stayed with Ashley until Brent led into the final commercial break before the game.

"I'm not that much of a distraction," Ashley quipped as Jasmine hit the fast-forward button.

The group laughed, and Joe said, "You are so. It's hard, but I just think about the next play when I'm on the field."

Ashley let out an exaggerated mock gasp. "You forget about me?!" Her eyes were smiling, though.

"I never forget you," he said indignantly. "I just choose to play through the pain of being more than an inch from you."

She rewarded him with a sweet kiss. The players guffawed and applauded his smooth reply. The pregame festivities came on and the players seemed to bounce in their seats to the beat of the Marching Chiefs' drum corps. It was a number of plays in before Julie realized Ashley was calling the plays before they happened. Not the actual name, but "sweep right," or "pass to Jacob."

Julie turned to her new friend. "How do you know what happens next?"

"Um, the game was yesterday?"

"Yeah, but you know every play!" Julie was in awe.

"That's cause I pay attention to my man," Ashley replied with a grin. She looked back at the screen. "Corner blitz, pass down the left for touchdown."

The players cheered the score, and applauded the running back's blitz pickup. The broadcast returned from the commercial break playing Soar while mixing in clips of Ashley performing and some of the plays from the scoring drive, culminating with a shot of Joe's perfect spiral timed to appear with refrain. Jill, Jasmine, and Julie gushed over the intro spot. Ashley went to the bar and retrieved the dessert she brought while Duke was on offense, cutting it into squares and putting them on plates. She set one each before Julie and her parents. When Joe had taken the field again on the screen, she began relating the plays again.

"Rick bails out Joe on this one," she said while setting a plate before the named player.

The room gasped, then cheered when the ball sailed high, but Rick had made an amazing leap to snag it for a huge first down. The team had scored shortly after, yet Ashley didn't dole out any more desserts for the points.

"I thought your drink was awesome, but this dessert makes it seem like water," Julie enthused. Her parents and Rick echoed the compliment.

"Thanks, it's a no-bake eclair cake."

Halftime was skipped over, and Ashley's performance was highlighted after every break. She had handed out three more desserts to the players she specifically invited only when the play that had gained her invitation to them was about to be replayed. There were two squares left, and she grabbed a can of cool whip and drew a hefty 'X' on top of one of them.

"For blowing that pass in the first half," she said with a smirk as she laid the dish before her husband.

Most of the room was confused, and Julie voiced it. "If you're rewarding big plays with this unbelievable treat, what's with the extra cream for Joe, if you didn't like that pass?"

Joe turned his nose at the dessert. "I hate whipped cream," he said disdainfully while raking it off with a fork. Ashley raised an eyebrow, and he clarified his statement. "The dislike changes with what it's on, of course."

To make his point, he wiped the fork across the tip of her nose, then kissed it clean while everyone laughed.

* * *

The next day was full of surprises for Ashley. She woke to a text from Kim, who had returned to Pensacola with the band after the party. "Doesn't she ever sleep?" Ashley groaned as she unlocked her phone. The text said that there would be a Number One party in Nashville for Soar. Ashley replied that she'd rather have it in her hometown, to give the city a boost in recognition. Kim texted back that she'd work on it.

Classes went as usual, but when she returned to the penthouse and retrieved the mail, there were letters from the university. She handed Jill hers, put Jasmine and Joe's on the kitchen counter, and opened her own. It stated that all requirements were met with her current course load, and upon successful completion of this semester, her graduation would be in December. Jill said her letter had said something similar. Ashley had lost track of how much she had finished, so the early graduation notice caught her off-guard. If the other letters were the same, the dual enrollment courses they took in high school would have put them this far ahead. Jill seemed to read her expressions and reminded her that between all the summer courses she took, plus winning the course skips, Ashley would have caught up.

Kim called a couple of hours later and said that Jon agreed to throwing the party over there, and that they were looking into venues. Ashley posed an idea that it would be nice to pay tribute to the inspiration for the song. Kim squealed in excitement and said she would work on that next. She also had news about Cindy. Her appointment today was good news and showed both baby and mother were healthy. Also, Cindy had started dilating, and that the birth would be soon -- maybe only a week away.

The last surprise for Ashley that day came late, and it was not as pleasant. She and Joe got into bed, and she was about to ask what was bugging him, as he seemed stressed that day since he got home with Jasmine from their date. But then, Jasmine came from the bathroom, crawled up from the center of the footboard, and deposited herself squarely between Ashley and Joe. Jasmine's face showed no hint of teasing play.

"What the hell?!" quipped Ashley.

"I just wanna sleep next to Joe, for once," deadpanned Jasmine.

Ashley knew there was more to it, as Jasmine laid on her side to face Joe, and used her butt to push Ashley further away. But, nearly naked as she was, Jasmine was still on top of the covers, while Joe and Ashley were under them. Whatever, Ashley thought to herself as she rolled the opposite way to go to sleep. At least Jasmine wasn't blatantly humping him.

The following Wednesday rolled upon them, and Ashley and Jill left right after class to head back home for the big party. Ashley and Joe had a very enjoyable time together the night before, surprisingly with the encouragement of Jasmine. She had emerged from her shower wearing only satin white panties, and unceremoniously began making out with Ashley. Things got hot and heavy with Joe watching and kissing Ashley's neck while Jasmine attended to her girlfriend's breasts. Jasmine removed Ashley's clothing, then moved her like a willing doll astride Joe. Ashley was so involved in the sex, she didn't remember when Jasmine had left to sleep on the sofa downstairs. Jasmine was so hot and cold this week, but Ashley decided to just roll with it and accept the fun time with Joe.

But now, it was just her and Jill. Joe had to stay for practice, and Jasmine had a major project to finish up. Or, at least that was her excuse. Ashley had overheard Jasmine on the phone with Joe, planning on meeting up with him after practice. But for now, she had to focus on the big night and deal with home life later. Dare didn't debut quite as high as Jon predicted, but its number 12 spot made this party gain even more attention. Kim had worked hard and gained use of the Blue Angels' hangar as the venue. Ashley was spared the recitation of the entire guest list, but the entire staff of the Demonstration Squadron and their families were invited, along with the base's top brass, as well as a number of the city dignitaries. Joe had a wildly successful game the previous weekend, so under that guise, Ashley told Sam to stay in Tallahassee for crowd control, as the base would be rather secure. Though, if she was forced to admit, she really wanted to keep Jasmine under surveillance.

Ashley pranced up to her band in the parking lot, freezing mid-stride upon seeing Paul's arm around Reena's back.

"Whoa, when did this happen?" she asked with a broad smile.

Reena leaned into Paul. "It's been coming for a while, I think."

"A really long while," Paul mumbled in good humor.

Reena nudged him. "Anyway, he asked me to dinner last week...and...well..."

"Well, great for you! I'm so happy!" Ashley bounced up to give them a hug.

Mike sauntered up to Jill and offered a bouquet of roses from behind his back. "I heard you were coming," he said.

Jill accepted the flowers with sparkling eyes. "Thank you."

"Thought maybe you would like a date for this," he said hopefully. "Event!" Mike added a little hastily.

Jill giggled. "I knew you didn't mean roses in exchange for a date. Relax, my answer is yes."

Ashley raised her eyebrows. "Wow, I guess we're marrying off the band tonight."

Jim greeted her with a hug. "Not me." He raised his hand before her, showing off his ring. "I boarded that ride a while ago."

Her parents were next to find her, followed by Kim, Jon, Doug, and a very pregnant Cindy. Each offered their own congratulations. "Boss" greeted the group, offered his congratulations, and ushered them to the hangar.

Jill let out a low whistle. "Wow, Kim! You've been busy!"

"Thanks," chirped Kim. "But Jon hired a LOT of help."

Ashley cleared her throat. "I guess so! This place is amazing!"

What an understatement. The maintenance crew had positioned two freshly polished jets on either side of a stage, that was complete with full lighting systems and video display boards. The space was spotless, usual dirt and grime replaced by star shaped glitter scattered evenly over the concrete floor. A long banquet table ran down the center of the hangar. Decorations and streamers hung from the ceiling. Plants, ice sculptures, and decorative lights were strategically placed so that one could mistake the interior for a large upscale banquet room.

Jon appeared to smirk. "Well, my investment paid off in a huge way."

Kim folded her arms. "And who's idea was that?"

"Yours," he admitted with a smile before kissing her. He caught the eye of someone and waved them over. He introduced Ashley to the head of his label.

"So, YOU'RE Jasmine's boss," Ashley said in recognition.

The figure head smiled. "Yes, she's an amazing, artistic person."

"That she is," Ashley agreed, reaching for her ringing phone. "Speaking of...I gotta take this, excuse me." She walked a few paces off. "Hey Jazz. What's up?"

The voice on the other end was nervous. So much so, that it came out shaking. "Hey Ashley. I just wanted to call and congratulate you on hitting number one."

"Thanks. What's wrong? Isn't Sam around?" Ashley feared something had happened to Joe.

"Yeah, he's lurking around somewhere."

"Then why do you sound so shaky?"

"I'm sleeping with Joe," Jasmine said simply.

"WHAT?!" It was Ashley's turn to have an uneven voice. She stepped quickly toward the restroom. "NOW?" she breathed as she opened the door.

There was a silent pause. "No, later tonight," the trembling voice replied curtly.

"Jasmine, no! Don't do this, please!"

"You vowed that I could whenever I needed or wanted to, as long as I let you know. I'm letting you know."

Ashley clenched her eyes shut, yet failing miserably at preventing tears from escaping. "Not tonight. Not while I'm away, I beg you."

Jasmine let her breath out all at once in almost a sob. "I have to. And, I have to tonight. It's the only way I can help complete this project. I know it in my heart."

"Project?! As in JOE'S PROJECT?!" Ashley grabbed a roll of paper towels and hurled it against the wall with a yell. "Argh! I am so SICK of this secret project!"

There was another pause. "I swear I'll tell you everything once we know the results after this. Fail or succeed." Her voice got very small. "I never wanted to hurt you."

Ashley didn't respond for a few seconds. Finally she found her voice. "You do this...fine...if you can." She gritted her teeth. "But, if you do, I end that pledge to you, and we are done. You'll have to move out, you understand?"

Jasmine's voice choked. "I'm sorry. I understand. If it helps, it's for you." She hung up.

Ashley leaned back against the wall, letting her head thump against it. "I know I said she could, but damn it," she said aloud to herself. "Joe and I are so fragile right now." Maybe he'll refuse, she thought to herself. Ashley hit a few buttons on her phone.

"Sam? What's going on?"

"Hey Ashley. Not much. Jasmine's about to take Joe out to eat. Why, is something wrong?"

Ashley sighed. "Not exactly. Uh, have you seen them yet?"

"Yeah, they just came down. Why...oh, she called to tell you...are you okay?"

Ashley's voice rose. "You know what she's planned?! So, she's told you about the project, then?"