Do I Want To Know?

Chapter 10- Jealousy

   Joe stumbled down the hotel hallway with Bess at his side. She was giggling like no tomorrow, and even he couldn't stop himself from chuckling every now and then. Her laugh was infectious, and they were a mix of exhausted, and high on life.

   "Joe, shut up, if you make me laugh one more time I swear I'll-" Joe looked at her smugly, and bumped his shoulder against hers,

   "What are you gonna do?" He asked flirtatiously, and she pushed him into the wall.

   "I'll do that! Seriously though, we ate too much. I feel like my stomach is going to explode" Joe laughed at that, trying to support himself against the wall.

   "I like hearing you laugh, Bess Marvin." Joe grinned, and he was glad to see her face turn red. She pulled him off the wall, linking their arms together as they continued to walk down the hall, with a little more composure this time,

   "Thanks for taking me out to dinner. And paying."

   "It was the least I could do after abandoning you all day~" He said teasingly, and Bess gave him a playful eyeroll. Eventually they stopped at Bess' hotel room, standing face to face in front of the door.

   Bess glanced at the door, and then up at Joe's face. She clutched the edges of his beige jacket, which he had draped over her on the way back from the restaurant when she had complained about being cold. In only his white t-shirt, he looked colder than she ever could be. She had a strong urge to wrap her arms around him just to test it out.

   "...Your jacket is huge. And it doesn't go with this outfit." She quipped, and Joe gave her a look of offense, which she knew was fake,

   "Oh yeah? Well I'll just have to take it back then." He sounded sarcastic, and said it with a smile as he did most things, but Bess still wrapped the jacket around herself protectively,

   "Absolutely not." She replied defensively, and he gave her a smirk,

   "You like it?" He asked, and Bess crossed her arms,

   "Maybe I just think you deserve to be cold." He took a step toward her, and she sized him up too,

   "Do I?" He looked down at her, eyes darting to her lips for a split second when he realized how close together they were really standing.

   "You do." She stared back up at him with a big smile, like she won their little game. They stared at each other for a while. Joe licked his bottom lip, and Bess wished she had put on more lipgloss.

   "You wanna come on set with me tomorrow?" Joe asked after a while, breaking the tension their eye contact had brought. Bess' eyes lit up when he did,

   "Really? Of course!" She paused, looking slightly concerned,

   "Is that allowed?"

   "I'll find a way." She beamed up at him, and Joe loved it. He loved seeing her smile like that, how overexcited she got about things like this.

   "Oh, thank you Joe! You're the best, and you know it!" This time she did wrap her arms around his torso, hugging him tightly. He was caught off guard slightly, but returned the favor. Bess looked up at him again, still embracing him, and rested her chin against his chest.

   God, she was pretty.

   Joe reached up an arm to move her blonde hair out of her eyes, tucking some of it behind her ear, before he returned it to its comfortable position around her waist.

   He felt like this was finally their time.

   His heart pounded as he began to lean down slightly, and he noticed how Bess pushed herself up on her toes, her eyes closing expectantly.