JC's soothing fingertips gliding up and down her body, accompanied by the exertion of their escapade, along with the drinks, put Nicole to sleep immediately. JC noticed the change and her breathing and realized she was out. He glanced over her resting form at the nightstand and noted the time on the clock radio, 1:22. It wasn't too late. He could still get home, and it wouldn't be out of the realm of possibilities that he was still in a session. He rolled out of the bed as quietly as possible and padded out of the bedroom and into the living room. He found his jeans crumpled on the floor and pulled his phone from the back pocket. 

Jen: Hey babe, looks like you're being productive. Having a girl's night and staying at Meg's. 

Jen: Let me know when you get this. Love you. 

The messages had come less than an hour before. He quickly typed out a reply. 

JC: Got a lot done. Since you won't be home, I'm going to crash down here. Back at it in the morning. 

JC: See you tomorrow night. Have some fun for me. Love you. 

He should feel like shit for lying, but he didn't really want to walk to his car and drive home. He didn't quite want to leave Nicole anyway. The draw to her was too strong. Or maybe it wasn't the draw to her, but the draw to who he was with her.  He wandered to the kitchen for water. Poured himself a glass and re-entered the bedroom, pulled back the sheets and slid in. Nicole hadn't moved, still sleeping on her back. He rolled to his side and sidled up against her. Who actually sleeps on their back, he wondered? Her! Of course. Everything about her is a little off. He angled his neck and pushed his nose into her hair, which splayed out between her shoulder and her neck. He placed the palm of his hand on her hip and closed his eyes.  In a matter of breaths, he drifted off to sleep. 

***

They both woke with a start at the ringing of a telephone. JC's stomach dropped, concerned that it was Jen calling him. Fortunately, it was Nicole's phone ringing in her purse, which she had left on the floor of the bathroom upon her arrival the night before. She tried to ignore it, but it rang again, and then a third round of rings. She stumbled to the bathroom and saw the caller ID, signifying that someone was at the security door at the apartment. 

"Hello?" She answered softly.

"Hey, I didn't bring my key. Let me in! I have the Jeep, I need to get my truck," ordered Joel. "You're not still sleeping, are you?"

"Um, no, no. Okay," she mumbled and pressed the button on her phone to buzz him in.  

She left the bathroom in a hurry. "Josh! You gotta get up, you gotta get dressed. Joel is coming up!"

"What?" He sprang out of bed quickly.  Looking around and remembering half his clothes were in the other room. "I mean, does it matter if he sees me?"

"Yes! He's just... He won't let me live it down."

He tossed his shirt over his head. "You're embarrassed?" He asked as he approached her suddenly, backing her into the wall of the small hallway. He placed a hand against the wall, blocking her escape with his arm. He nuzzled her neck with his nose and placed a few small kisses near her ear. He whispered, "Because last night, you were begging me not to stop?" 

"N-no," she stammered. She fought a sudden urge to kiss his mouth. "It's just... Please, just get dressed." She begged, pushing on his chest, he backed away. "I'll just tell him we drank too much, so you stayed here."

JC slapped Nicole's bare ass as he exited the bedroom to retrieve his pants. " As you wish," he called out as he turned the corner to the living room. Nicole quickly threw on a tank top and a pair of shorts that were lying on top of a wicker hamper, pulled a hairband off of a nearby door handle and tossed her matted hair up high on top of her head. She joined JC in the living room just in time to hear a loud knock on the door. She opened the door and Joel stood beaming, his fiancé Kaylee standing behind him looking unimpressed. 

"Hey!" he chirped, quickly pecked her on the cheek and entered, Kaylee following. "So, I shaved down the brake pads, you will need new ones in a few months, but they are fine. You don't drive much anyway. Where are my keys? Kaylee and I are gonna get breakfast, you want to co--" he stopped mid-sentence when we saw JC sitting on a chair in the living room putting on shoes. It was obvious they both had just woken up. "Hi, Josh." Joel smiled and stifled a laugh. He cocked his head back toward Nicole, one accusatory eyebrow raised.

"Joel," JC smiled. He finished tying his shoe and stood.  

Kaylee leaned against the wall and looked from Nicole to JC and back to Nicole, mouth slightly open in surprise. 

"Well, I didn't know you had company," Joel said in an exaggerated way.

"Yeah. Um, we went out with Alex and Nikki last night. You know, Dan at the Brit has those heavy pours. So, you know, we crashed out." Nicole laughed awkwardly. 

"Yeah." JC added, smoothing the hair down at the back of his neck. "Hangovers are tough in my old age. Anyway, it was good seeing you, again Joel, Kaylee." JC smiled. "I had fun last night, Nicole, thanks!" JC tapped his pockets, checking for his phone and keys, and saw himself out of the apartment. 

"You guys had some fun last night, huh?" Joel smiled at her. 

"I knew you were fucking him!" Kaylee eyed Nicole accusingly. She turned and headed back toward the front door. "I don't understand the draw," she mumbled. "She must have a golden pussy or something."  

Joel glared at his fiancé and shook his head.

Nicole retrieved Joel's keys from her purse and threw them at him. "She," eyeing Kaylee, "is a raging bitch, and you suck! Go eat your breakfast!" She turned on her heel and stomped back into her bedroom.

"Love you too, Nic!" Joel called as he exited her apartment. 

****

         JC hurried away from Nicole's apartment. He walked at a quick clip. Not sure if he was speeding away from his guilt, or the lack thereof. He wasn't that ready to leave her yet, but he knew he couldn't stay. He was in a good place, so why was he being so reckless? He had been living a life beyond his imagination. He had been front and center, and now he was enjoying life behind the scenes. He had the most beautiful woman, who loved him unconditionally, and who was willing to completely uproot her life to be part of his continued happiness. He had the support of friends and family. Why was he never satisfied? Why was he self-sabotaging? 

         His mind was filled and spiraling. The distraction made the walk back to his car and the recording studio feel extremely quick. He walked around to the back alley and punched in a code. The garage door rose, and he pulled out his keys, using the remote to pop the trunk on his Mercedes. He reached in and pulled out a small bag emblazoned with tiny Louis Vuitton initials. He unzipped it and rifled through its contents of toiletries. Making sure he had everything he needed, zipped it up and quickly headed into the building. He'd freshen up and get started on what he assumed would be another unproductive day in the studio. 

         While he waited for his sound engineer, Alex, and his writing partner for the day, Andrew, to join him in the session, he took a seat at the keyboard in the studio. He wanted to see if he could chip away at the melody that had been haunting him. His fingers glided across the keys as the slow melody filled the room. He replayed the same bar, over and over. He moved his lips, vocalizing the beats. The process repeated and repeated until words finally developed. "I've been sitting in the shadows. Where every day feels like night..." He hummed some more, while his fingers repeated the bar and his mouth mumbled the words. He added, "I just need to see the light." He stopped. Nowhere near satisfied, he wrote down the words in his notebook. Then played the same bar again and again, trying to replace words with new ones, pausing from time to time to jot down notes.

During one pause to write notes, Alex's voice suddenly rang through the room, "Making progress?"

Without turning to face Alex at the window of the control room, he raised his hand and gave a thumbs up. He resumed playing the bars at the keyboard and sang out the few lyrics he had jotted down over and over again, multiple different ways. Ready to take a break, he ended the bar with a random flourish of keys. He stretched out his arms and leaned from side to side to work out the kinks in his back. He rose from the stool and joined Alex in the control room.

"I like it! Slow. Haunting. I see some other strings happening," Alex offered without looking at JC. 

"Yeah, I hear that too," JC mumbled as he flopped onto the worn leather couch behind Alex. 

"What's the plan for today?" 

"AO is coming in. We are going to work on an electronic dance track. He wants us to clean it up a bit." JC replied by pulling his phone from the bag he had left on the couch in the control room. He unlocked the screen and scrolled through his text messages. 

Jen: You work too hard. I'll make dinner tonight. Your favorite. I'm sure you've been eating shit and drinking too much coffee for the last 24 hours. 

Jen: Miss you!

Andrew O: Be there around 3. Liz is coming too. 

Nicole: Hope you have a better day today

JC's heart sank a little. "I'm a fucking asshole" he thought. He locked his phone and joined Alex at the board.