Forbidden Secrets (Completed ✅)

Eighteen

Bubba kissed Steph's cheek "Call me when you get home" he reminded her  smiling  "No sleeping this time until it's done" Bubba  laughed shaking  his finger at her 
"Ok I promise for real this time" Steph  reassured him holding up her hand "but you have to promise to take care of him for me" Steph  spoke in a  low tone so just the two of them could hear
"I don't come cheap" Bubba  reminded her  still laughing "so he will be fine" he finished with a noisy kiss on her cheek.
Jordan was silent the entire ride to the airport which worried her. Steph knew   that he wanted to talk to her about something but she just didn't know what it was. Chad mentioned to her last night about the promotions opportunity Steph  was so excited about it that she could die but due to last nights alcohol and the morning's activities Steph  completely forgot to mention it to him. When they arrived  at the airport Jordan  paused before exiting the car. Steph  was sure that he was going to say something but then changed his mind.
This can't be good at all
Steph  thought as they checked her luggage in at the desk. Jordan had no problem telling her good stuff so Steph figured that he didn't want to continue what they had because she  reminded him that she was just a fan by all of that site talk she had done this morning.
Damn why do you have to be such a fan, she mentally punished herself as they waited in line for security. Finally getting through Jordan  put his hands into the pockets of his jacket as they walked across the airline terminal.
"You know, I will  miss you" Jordan  admitted  looking down at the polished floor as they walked.
Steph smiled "I think I will probably miss you too" she admitted avoiding eye contact  with him.
"Probably? I show you a good time this weekend and you are probably going to miss me?" Jordan teased with a playful nudge of her arm.
"Ok so you know I will miss you and the guys" she said with a sheepish grin, why did her flirting with him still make her so uncomfortable.
"The guys? Oh I see now I am just one of pack of guys that you enjoy hanging out with"Jordan replied defensively but playfully.
"Jordan  stop it" Steph  scolded softly with a push at his arm as she laughed.
Jordan pretended to be almost knocked over then he stopped to turn to her.
"Baby listen" he began after a deep sigh
Steph  felt the change in the air around them as she turned to face him. That combined with the look on his face threatened to unsteady her.
What in the hell was he going to say?
Steph was pretty certain  she didn't want to find out so she decided to interrupt him.
"Wait Jordan, I think we need to talk"
"Talk?" Jordan asked  in confusion,
That's what I thought we were about to do"

"Yeah we need to talk about us" Steph explained leading him toward  the nearest bank of chairs.
If he was going to give her the we are just friends and nothing more speech then she was going to do it first.

"Us?" Jordan sat down uneasily
This was going to be a great conversation if he kept using those one word answers. Why did she always feel just like a little woman when she tried to talk to him? He made her so nervous.
"Ok so talk" Jordan said to her silence
"I talked to Chad last night about the whole promotions thing and I think that if..." Steph began not looking at him while  giving her usual nervous hand gestures.
"Wait a minute" Jordan said throwing up his hand "Chad asked you to do promotions for me?" Jordan asked  pointing to himself in complete confusion.
Steph was taken back by his apparent lack of knowledge. Would Chad just ask her to do something without checking with Jordan first, or was she not supposed to mention it to him? Well Steph figured the damage was done so she might as well press on.
"Yeah he asked me last night if I would consider doing promotions for you  as well as  helping out at the shows to free him up" Steph  explained leaning back "didn't you know about this?" 
"Oh yeah I knew" Jordan replied  recovering "I just didn't think he would ask you without me  there or at the very  least letting me know" he complained frowning.
"Oh well, I am sorry for springing this on you then I just thought we needed to talk about boundaries" Steph  explained beginning to sound business like.
"Boundaries?" Jordan questioned even more lost than before.
Was she giving him the brush off? 
He wasn't quite sure.
"Yes, boundaries. If I am going to you know kind of work for you guys then I think it would be best that if we didn't do" Steph paused to find the right  words "what we did this weekend as well as  the last times we have been together" she finished quickly , nervously  watching  him.
All the air seemed to leave the space around Jordan's head. She was breaking up with him before he had even had a chance to tell her anything. What in the hell went wrong. Jordan  thought that Steph  felt the same way about him but boy was he fooled. He didn't know what to say, didn't know how to act so he decided just to make a joke of it as to not show how much he was hurting.
"Oh so I guess we aren't falling in love then" Jordan  teased with a hollow laugh  hoping  it was convincing, because that was sure as hell was he thought they were doing
The fact that he could make light of what they had together up until now told Steph that she had been right to do this. She knew that their relationship was just a convince to Jordan. A certified booty call in a sense and Steph was glad to have the opportunity to see how Jordan really felt without totally throwing away her entire life away for him, because up until he made a joke about it, she actually thought that she was falling in love with him.
She laughed and touched his arm "I guess not" Steph patted Jordan's hand playfully "so you will just have to promise me that you will try to resist me from now on" she teased
"Your right I guess I should" Jordan replied not really believing what he was hearing, now it was a joke between them, what the fuck was going on
"you know with all the sexual harassment suits going on these days" Jordan muttered into his lap faking a laugh,.
Steph's laugh sounded empty and meaningless which almost frightened her. She couldn't believe that their relationship had now become a joke.
Better to know sooner than never she told herself as she looked around uncomfortably.
"So when do you start your new job?" Jordan asked curiously
"Well you guys have a break with the shows until later in January but Chad wanted to get together before then so I can kind of know the routine and what you wanted me to do" she said with a shrug
"Yeah well you do need time to actually promote the show" Jordan replied with a vacant laugh
"Yeah I guess I do" she looked around nervously "so I guess you or Chad will call me about it then" Steph  said not actually believing that she would ever hear from them again.
"Yeah I told you I wanted to see you over the holidays remember?" Jordan murmured gently  touching her arm
Steph was so damn confused. What did he want exactly? First they were a joke and now he wanted to see her again. What did he want from her? Oh the booty call, Steph reminded herself, well she wasn't going to play that game.
"Ok yeah sure, if I get a chance I will try" Steph  retorted coldly.
"Stephi what is" Jordan began but broke off as the boarding call for her flight echoed over the loud speaker.
"Well that is my cue for exit" Steph said with a smile to cover her absolute frustration. She really didn't want to hear his lame excuse for everything at this point. She had to be the world's biggest idiot to believe that he actually saw something more than an easy lay in her.
"Stephi I am not finished talking" Jordan said heatedly as she stood up
"Jordan there is nothing else to say" she paused to look him in the eyes  "Just call me when you get a chance" she said as she turned to leave
"Damn it ! Steph STOP!"
Jordan  couldn't leave it at this. He could have her walk away from him in a huff. Jordan reached up, grabbing  Steph's arm Jordan spun her around to look at him.
"Baby listen to me please" Jordan  pleaded with his eyes "Just let me say my peace and then you can go ok" Jordan  whispered  with his arms out
"Ok, go on" Steph  replied  in a combative stance.
He visibly stepped back at her hostile posture.
why was she getting so mad? This woman was going to make me loose his mind.
"I don't know why you are so mad at me but we don't have time to go into that right now" he said throwing up a hand as she started to speak "I just wanted to tell you that I am not  sorry about the shower thing this morning,  I don't want you thinking that you are my booty call for the tour" Jordan  paused as  registered the shock in her face. He couldn't tell if it was due to the fact that he had answered her question about them or if he had posed something she hadn't thought of yet. He pressed on "I do want to see you again because I love being  with you, I feel relaxed and can talk to you. I understand because of the situation if you want to keep this strictly business but I consider you my best  friend . Baby I love you. I know we're both legally bound to others but that can be rectified"
She just stood looking at him for a moment longer. The look on her face was so complicated that he didn't know if she was relieved, mad or hurt.
"Thanks for clarifying things for me, that helps" she said with a hand on his arm "You can call me whenever  yes I would love to hang out with you again" Steph told him  raising up to kiss Jordan's cheek.
"Thanks for the good time this weekend and have a great holiday" Steph  said as the final boarding call was made.
"Be safe and call me when you land" Jordan called as she walked off
Steph stopped, turned to Jordan , and gave him the most beautiful smile he had seen yet. He felt his insides tighten as his heart shuddered.
"I promise I will this time " Steph promised  with a wave and a blown kiss
"Stephi!" he yelled after her
"What?" she said Turing around laughing?
"You still have the most beautiful smile I have ever seen you know" Jordan called out to her smirking
"Jordan?" Steph called back as she turned to run to the gate.
"Yea I love you too !"