STAND 16

I wear a sexy black silk nightdress and walk into the room. Jason is lying on the floor, pillows under his head. And his mobile on his hand.
I crawl to him “hello gorgeous”
He gestures me to lower my voice.
“Get off the phone love” I command him.
‘A minute’ he mouths “yes Justin… I bet it’s gonna be a smashing party! Have fun bro… Love you”
I kiss his chest making my way to his neck when the stupid thing rings again. I bite his nipple but it’s not enough to prevent him from answering.
“Sorry Titti” he whispers “Hello Oliver!... Yes, the place is amazing… Me too. …Of course… I’ll call you tomorrow… Happy new year bro”
“You done?”
“I think so, are you?”
“I’m not even started” and give him a wicked look. When his mobile goes off again. “Cannot fucking believe it! Jason I swear, if you don’t switch it off I’m so gonna go looking for one of my Parisian mates”
He caresses my side and answers it. “Patty! That is a surprise! When was the last time we talked? …I cannot be so long!... How old are the twins? … What? They cannot be 5 already!”
I straddle him and toss my arms in the air in despair. I stretch one to reach for my handbag. I take out my nail file and some money. I start grinding down the edge of my nails giving him an extremely pissed look.
He laughs at me while talking to his long lost friend. After almost 10 minutes of nonsense he says “Bye Patty, it was great to hear from you”.
I stomp my feet on the floor pushing my butt deeper into his belly “who the hell is Patty now? And before you say anything” and I point a finger at him “there you go, 5 pounds for the witch fund. Because we both know this is your mother asking every single person she knows to call you so you cannot be with me!”
And I cross my arms. He sits up hugging me and planting light kisses on my face “no honey, it’s always like that, we’re a large family, this is a holiday…”
“And the Italian harpy took you away”
“I’m very happy to be with my Italian harpy”
“Really?” and I kiss him back
“Very much” and starts nibbling my ear.
“Keep doing that Mr. Orange, you’re earning precious points”
“So, am I forgiven?” and licks my neck
“Not quite” I moan.
And his mobile rings again. “Jason Thomas-not-getting-any Orange I warn you” I hiss.
He looks at me amused and mouths ‘sorry’, answering it.
Before he can say a single word I grab the mobile from his hand “Hello! We’re sorry to inform you Mr. Orange cannot answer his phone right now. It’s a matter of life and death, his death to be precise. If doesn’t start paying some real very much sexual oriented attentions to his gorgeous woman ~ and that would be me, speaking ~ I’m gonna kill him first and find myself another hot lover then. We are busy! Spread the news! Happy new year!” and switch it off. “There you go!”
I look at his face and I freeze, “tell me it was not your mother…” I whisper.
Jason covers his eyes and bursts into a very loud laughter “my poor mommy, that sweet woman…she’ll never look at me the way she used to”
I cover my mouth “oh God, Jay I’m so sorry” and I bury my face in his chest “Maddi always says I need to count to 20 before opening my stupid big mouth. Oh God, this is so bad, so bad, so bad”
He gives me a bear hug “you do have a big mouth”
“I’m so sorry, do you think I should call back and apologize?”
He cups my face “and what do you suggest you should tell her?” he pretends to be thinking about it “Jenny, can I still call you Jenny? I didn’t really mean it. I mean… I do have sex with your beloved son…no, that’s not what I wanted to say…It’s just that mine is a medical condition. I’m a mental nympho”
I smack his chest “Jay! This is not funny! It’s a disaster! I’ll never be able to look at her in the eyes. Why didn’t you tell me?”
He brushes my legs with his fingers “this is so much fun!”
I look at him, and it strucks me “you stupid, filthy, stupid”
“You said stupid twice” he mocks me.
“So you like synonyms, don’t you?” and I hit his chest once more “there you go. You pillock, bonehead, dumbass, shithead…”
“I got it! I got it” he laughs holding my hands into his. “I’m sorry but it was too easy. You should have seen the look in your face… so you care what my mother thinks of you…”
“Of course I do…” I pout “she’s your mother”
“My baby…” and kisses me deeply. “Well you can look on the bright side, with what you’ve just said on the phone they’ll laugh at me for months”
I smooth some locks from his face, “tell me it was some not-family-related-random-stranger”
“Worst, it was Doug. He’s gonna make fun of me for ages. Thanks very much”
And my mind goes blank. I take my hands off his body and stand up.
“Where are you going now?”
I tuck my hair behind my ears “I need to… need to do something… be right back… you wait for me there… alright hun?”
He looks at me puzzled, resting on his elbows “I’m going nowhere”
I manage to step into the bathroom and lock the door behind me. I sit on the floor holding my head *stupid, stupid cow. How could I do something so stupid? Why do I care? We’re not talking, I hate him. He heard me saying those things. It’s over now, once and for all he won’t bother me again. I’m fine. I’m happy. I’m in love. That’s what I wanted. I need to call him. What was I thinking? Oh God, Oh God, Oh God, Oh God, Oh God*. I close my eyes and lean my head against the bathtub. I don’t know how long I stay there when Jason comes knocking on the door.
“Honey, you ok in there?”
I stand up and splash my face “ok, coming out”
He hugs me tight, “what’s wrong?”
“Just a headache. I skied too much. I took a painkiller, I’ll be fine”
He kisses my head. “Maybe you should lie down. You must be tired”
I nod.
He covers me with the duvet “I’ll go downstairs finishing my phone calls and be right back. Do you mind staying here alone?”
“I’ll be fine.”
He kisses me. “Jay?”
“Yes love?” he’s already at the door.
“I don’t deserve you”
“I’m glad you finally realized it” and winks.


Jason closes the door behind him, I roll over. I scan the room. Our clothes, his guitar, my books, his books, his camera, my laptop. Signs of a normal life, two people together. So why does it have to be so complicated? I crawl over the bed and reach for my mobile on the bedside table. I lie back and dial Howard’s number. My heart is pounding furiously. It rings forever. No answer. I try again, and again and again. Same thing. I call Sam.
It rings for what it feels like eternity.
“Titti, is it you calling my bro?” silence “I warned you! I’m gonna fucking kill you!”
“I didn’t know…I’m sorry”
“I’m sure you are. What did you do to him?”
“I answered Jay’s phone. It was supposed to be joke”
“We’re laughing our heads off here! He’s sitting outside, refuses to talk to me and it’s freezing out there! You filthy bitch”
“Sam I didn’t…”
“You did it!” and hangs up on me. I bury myself under the cover. *I need to talk to him*
I get up and order a bottle of champagne. Jason comes back after a half an hour. I’m waiting for him wearing my bathrobe, and holding two champagne flutes. He looks at me. “Feeling better?” and raises his eyebrow.
I nod and hand him the champagne. “Happy new year love” and we drink and we kiss. “Now get rid of those stupid clothes, wear a bathrobe and let’s go to the hot tub”.
He walks to me stroking my arms “it’s closed now. Everyone’s getting ready for tonight’s party”
“If they haven’t changed it since last year, you’re standing in front of lady who knows the magic numbers to open the door to the spa”
“Do you have special powers?”
“Maddi got it, and I don’t want to know how she did it” and laugh.
“Champagne and a hot tub all to ourselves… are you trying to take advantage of me?”

Mark and Maddi are standing in front of the door to the spa, he looks around him making sure there’s no-one coming their direction.
“So, how come you have the combination to open the door?”
“Titti got it last year, and I don’t want to know how she did it” and laughs. She enters 5 numbers and says “Open Sesame!” and pushes the door “this way Mr. Owen, we have the whole spa to ourselves”.

The room is incredibly quite, the only noise come from the soothing bubbling of the Jacuzzi. They kiss passionately and Marks slides his hand inside her robe to gently caress her belly. She moans into his mouth and break their kiss. “Time to take care of you Mr.Owen” Maddi teases him.
Mark gets off his robe and slides into the Jacuzzi watching as Maddi gently lets hers slide off her shoulders and to the ground. As she eases herself into the water she gives a slight groan.She drifts across the water to be closer to Mark. The bubble jets swirl water around them, it bubbles up between them, and between their legs, over their backs, but they don't notice, looking deep into each other's eyes. Mark’s face is flushed, and his hands tremble as they gently move over her body. Slowly they ease towards each other, his lips touch hers, Maddi’s nipples brushing his chest, their legs softly intertwine. “I love you so much Maddi” and places his hand on his hip, and the other on her breast. They kiss a kiss of passion and obsession, intimate yet they bodies barely touching. Her wet hair cover her shoulder and he begins to kiss her neck “Now, Mark, please”. He looks into her eyes and nods, entering her with one gentle move. They both moan softly as he eases back and forth with his hips. They roll over, he is on top. He starts licking and biting her nipples floating just at the water's surface. His hands work down her sides to her hips, pulling her tight against him.
“Faster, Mark, faster”
He’s grunting and moaning and I’m screaming while Jason is pissing his pants.
Mark jumps, letting Maddi go so she hits her back against the side of the Jacuzzi. It takes her few seconds to understand what’s going on. “Shit!” she hisses while Mark moves to hug her and rub her back splashing the water all over the place.
“I’m sorry love, I was taken by surprise!”
“You never stop like that! Never! For no reason! Do you hear me?!” she’s pissed but she reads in Mark’s eyes she’s missing something. And she hears Jason laughing his head off “we are so, so, so, sorry” and he opens his arms wide “what can we say? Great minds think alike”
“Fuck you Jay!” Mark is pissed “you almost gave me a heart attack”
“We’re so sorry, really” he repeats. I think he might have a stroke, tears of laughter running down his cheek, “let’s just pretend nothing happened and we will slowly go back to our room. Right love?” and he turns to me. I’m standing there, speechless and frozen on the spot. “Too much information” I mumble
“What did you say Titti?” Jason’s so amused, I bet it happened to them all the time when they were touring the first time around. Me, I’m a first-timer and it’s a shock.
I cover my face and starts screaming “my eyes, my eyes! I can’t see anymore!”
Maddi grabs one of her flip flops and throw it us “enough! Show’s over! Get lost! Both of you! We were here first”
Jason guides me to the exit while I stretch my arms out in front of me keeping my eyes wide shut. We close the door behind us, look into each others’ eyes and burst into a fit of laughter!
“We left the champagne in there” I say trying to catch my breath.
He looks at me and smooths some hair from my face “I’m so not going back in”. His eyes lock into mine, he kisses me, deeply. “Is everything fine? Is there something bothering you?”
“No” I lie and then something takes possession of my mind “even though...”
“What?”
“The phone call … before”
“Stop worrying about that, it’s nothing”
“To you maybe. But he doesn’t like me already. You’ll be on tour, I need to get along with Howard. Call him, please? Do it for me. Tell him we were joking, I didn’t mean what I said”
He sighs “there’s no need to, but if it’s so important…” He gets his mobile and dial Howard’s number. I cross my arms in front of my chest fearing he might see my heart beating furiously.
“It’s ringing” he says “Dougie, mate!... Oh Sam. Sure …no problem. Can you give him a message? We’re so sorry, or” and winks at me “my lady is sorry about before…right … tell him we love him to death. Happy new year Sam”. He switches the mobile off “couldn’t come to the phone, left a message with his sister. Happy now?”
*not really. I’m scum*