Forbidden Secrets (Completed ✅)

Forty Two

"Tell him I said hi" Steph mananged to get out hoarsely  through the rising lump in her throat.
"I will" Bubba said heavily "Steph, listen, I don't want to get back into the middle of this again, but it would do him a world of good to actually hear from you, he is really having a rough time"
"Oh yeah, a hit album and a tour of stadiums with women constantly throwing themselves at you sounds like a really rough time" Steph  hissed  with more bite in her voice than she really meant.

"Steph" Bubba huffed  scoldingly
"Sorry"

"Look, whether you realize this  or not Jordan  is constantly grieving for you" Bubba explained  quietly
"Ok, what ever" she snapped  rolling her tear swollen eyes even though she knew Bubba couldn't see her.
"Stop rolling those beautiful brown eyes" Bubba chuckled
The tears that welled finally spilled over as the familiarity they had struck her and she missed it so very much.
After her pause he spoke again. "There are certain songs that he now refuses to sing because of you" he said to emphasize what an impact she really was having.
She was completely stunned "What? Really?" she barked out quickly "What are they?" she finished curiosity getting the better of her
"You know what they are" he said softly and she heard someone's voice in the back ground speak to him. OK she heard him say in answer.
"well woman, I have to head off, but you better call me if you ever need anything"
"I will" she said with regret. She could really use him right now.
"Big Guy" she paused to start their traditional goodbye exchange but he cut her off
"The checks keep coming so don't worry about him from my end" he said to her unasked question "Love you woman" he finished.
"You too" she whispered as the tears continued to spill out of her eyes.
"Bubba" she croaked out
"Yeah" his answer quick his voice full of emotion.. He could hear the tears in her strained voice.
"This is killing me too you know" she said collasping on the bed as the tears streaked through her hair
"Well, you two have to get your lives straight if you are ever gonna work" Bubba reminded her.
She sucked in a shuddering breath.

"I know"

Steph  wanted badly  to tell Bubba  that she was now legally separated and living in Boston but she knew he would tell Jordan. The last thing she wanted was to cloud his mind or worse risk him showing up here.

"You ok woman?" Bubba said to her long pause
"Yeah, sorry to hold you up" she mumbled  swiping at her face and finally composing herself again.
"Promise you will call me if you need anything" He ordered softly
"Ok Ok, mother I will" she said with a laugh more for him than her.
Yeah alright, she heard him say to the back ground again.
"Well, I will let you go sweetie, call me anytime day or night" he told her
"I will, promise" 
She lay back on the bed for a moment longer and wondered where they were now. Stop that damn it, she mentally punished herself. She checked the clock.
"Fuck gotta get my ass moving" she said to the empty apartment.
She quickly down half of her  warm coffee as she walked across the room to the bath. She was stripping off her clothes as she went to save time.
The hot water felt good against her skin and she resisted the temptation to just stay under the spray until she had used every last drop of the comfort. Feeling refreshed and composed again she carefully applied her makeup and spent extra time fussing with her hair. She was going swimming in the shark tank today and she was banking on them underestimating her. She pulled the cleaning bag off of her beige suit. She had to have it altered because of all the weight she had lost in the past few months.
"Only fifteen more to go" she said to the mirror as she slid into the matching heels.
Looking at her reflection carefully she took a deep breath.
"well here goes nothing" she said to herself as she picked up her purse and breifcase and headed out the door.
She ran out of the building and the wind whipped at her hair, sending it flying in her face
"Damn it, why did I even bother doing it today" she said as she reached the curb her car was parked by
She nervously fussed her hair back into its somewhat original state on the fifteen minute ride over to the record companies office.
Pushing through the doors, she checked her watch. She had five minutes to duck inside the lobby restroom to recompose herself before she jumped in the tank with the middle aged sharks of the record industry. Her insides were jello. Her cell chirped from her purse and she knew with out a doubt who it was before she even answered it.
"what, Joe?" she said as she carefully reapplied her lipstick with one hand.
"where are you?" he said anxiously
"what do you mean?" she teased.