Raven Brooke Ch. 01

Jessica Parker was a local celebrity. She spent her mornings on "City Life", a local morning news show she co-hosted with James Rawlings. Women watched the show to learn about the Hollywood updates and men watched to learn about her. She knew that sixty percent of the viewers that tuned in every morning were there to see her in her tight miniskirts and low-cut sweaters. Jessie was almost certain her looks were the only thing keeping her from being replaced by a more knowledgeable journalist.

"What the hell?" Jessie whined as she turned the hot water dial completely on. Why wasn't the water warming up? She sighed angrily and shut it off, turning to the bathroom sink to try the warm water there. When it didn't work, she realized the water heater was out and immediately she slammed her hand down onto the tiled counter in anger. "I pay twelve hundred a month for this hole in the ground?" she complained, glaring at the rose-tinted Whirlpool bath before giving up and going to the shower again to rush through a cold water cleaning.

After dressing and applying her make-up, Jessie went to the kitchen for her usual cup of coffee to discover she had forgotten to buy another bag of beans from Starbucks the night before. She searched through the cupboards, slamming the doors shut when she couldn't find the coffee grounds she'd had in there for months before she switched to beans. "What a day!" she shouted, turning to grab her keys and leave without breakfast.

The morning traffic was its usual aggravating experience for Jessie as her fingers gripped the leather steering wheel of her Z3 and her foot slammed on the breaks for the second time already. She glared at the Tahoe in front of her, her teeth clenched with annoyance. Michelle Branch sang through her speakers and she shut her eyes for a moment to regain composure. Just one more block. She could make it.

But, as she flipped her right blinker on, a Neon sped up and cut her off from turning into the parking lot, making her slam on the breaks once again.

"Damn it!" she shouted at the woman behind the wheel. The woman's windows were lowered and she turned back to glare at Jessie while speeding up. Jessie shook her head and turned into the parking lot, zipping around the two corners she had to turn to get to her parking space.

Jim was just getting out of his Trailblazer as she pulled up beside him and turned the ignition off. She opened the door and stepped out, her open-toed heels crunching the gravel beneath her feet. Jim walked around her car to meet her as she stood up and slammed the door.

"Rough morning?" he asked her, amusement playing at the corners of his mouth. Jessie rolled her eyes and nodded, clicking the lock button her key ring.

"Couldn't be rougher," she whined. Jim leaned to hug her politely and kiss her cheek before they turned to head to the set together.

"I doubt that," he muttered quietly, but kept it from her ears in fear of setting her off again. Since Jessie had been hired to co-host with him after Leah's retirement, he felt like he was stepping on eggshells around her every morning. She seemed delightful to the viewers, but as soon as the cameras were off, she was whining about something again. Every morning was the worst morning for her.

"Which low-life are we going to interview about some non-important junk today?" Jessie asked him as he held the door open for her to step in first. Jim shook his head slowly before following her in and letting the door swing shut behind him.

"Amy Weathers. She was announced dead but revived at the community hospital last summer," Jim told her. He heard her grunt in front of him as he followed her down the hallway to their set.

"Let me guess, she thinks she saw a glimpse of Heaven and wants to tell us what we can expect?" Jessie asked sarcastically.

"No," Jim told her, his voice sharp. "She had been baby-sitting and the toddler she had been watching fell into the canal. She rescued him and saved his life before she was rushed away by the under-current and was found an hour later, her shirt caught on a bridge."

"And we're going to ask her questions about that? What should we say? 'Was the water cold?' Or, maybe we should ask her why she hadn't been keeping an eye on the kid before he fell into the damn canal," Jessie complained before opening the door to the set and walking in, not holding it for Jim. He growled under his breath before following the priss onto the set.

The background of the set was something different every morning. Today, it was a picture of the canal with the old oak bridge in the background. On the set, there were the usual two burgundy over-stuffed chairs for Jessie and himself to sit on, and adjacent to those, was a small white couch with burgundy trimming. There was a table between the chairs and couch with a basket of flowers on them. Jessie was already standing by the refreshment table, a Styrofoam cup of coffee in her hands.

"I've never seen you drink coffee at work," he commented as he made himself a cup, adding two packets of sweetener. She flipped her long blonde ringlets over her shoulder and turned to look at him, her dark black mini-dress hugging her size four frame perfectly.

"I remember why now. This stuff tastes like shit," she complained, slamming the cup on the table and turning away. Jim looked at the spilled coffee from her slamming the cup down and shook his head as he grabbed a napkin and wiped it up. He grabbed another napkin and walked over to her so she could wipe up the hot liquid that had spilled onto her fingers. She cleaned her hand.

"So, why's this day been so rough on you?" he asked, knowing she wouldn't answer. She never did. She had been stuck-up and full of the idea that she was better than everybody else since she was in school, which wasn't anymore than three years ago. Jim had known Jessie as she grew up, being his niece hung around with her in junior high. By the time she reached high school, Jessie had dropped Jim's niece as a friend because she felt she was too good to hang around with someone from the volleyball team. Girls should cheerlead, not play sports, she thought.

"Don't play chatty-Chuck on me," Jessie warned as she turned around and went to the set. One of the make-up artists came over to her and fixed her hair into a flip above her head as she sat in her leather chair, the one furthest from the couch. Jim finished his coffee and joined her, sitting in his spot.

"One minute!" Ray, the producer and director of the show called out as he pointed to a cameraman. Jessie stretched and straightened her posture as Jim set his right ankle on his left knee casually. "And, we're on in five, four, three..."

"Good morning and thank you for watching City Life," Jim started with his usual phrase. "I'm James Rawlings," he said as he looked over at Jessie, her face beautiful with her shining smile. All fake, but beautiful.

"And, I'm Jessica Parker," she said beautifully, her voice the sound of an angel singing. Her beautifully rounded legs were crossed elegantly and her hands rested in her lap. Jim's face had a warm smile as he turned back to the camera and read from the cards.

"We have a great show planned for you this morning with the local news, and another look into Hollywood as we join our old friend Chris with the latest tabloid news," he said with a smile.

"And later, we will join up with local hero Amy Weathers," Jessie added. "But first, let's take a look at the weather."

The show went smoothly as usual and Jim was relieved Jessie didn't accuse Amy of being a bad baby-sitter like he thought she would. When the cameras shut off, Jessie sighed and leaned back in her chair, exhausted from talking.

"Good show," Jim told her. Jessie nodded and shut her eyes. "You seem stressed," he said with hidden amusement. She always seemed stressed.

"All I can say, is I'm really relieved it's Friday," she admitted, standing up and stretching. As she raised her arms above her head and curved backwards to stretch, Jim noticed her skirt raised an inch, and more of her lovely peach skin exposed itself to him. His eyes traveled up the length of her body to her perky breasts that were pushed out with her stretch. There was no doubt Jessica Parker was beautiful, stunning even. She kept her five foot, three inch frame slim and beautiful with hours at the gym and investing in Nichole Miller cosmetics. Her light blonde hair nearly reached her slim hips when she left it down, the ringlets curving around her stomach beautifully.

She wasn't the only strong asset to the show. Jim stood six feet tall with broad shoulders, a flat stomach and jet black hair, suavely flipped around his ears. He always wore blazers to work that complimented his beautiful co-host's ensembles. His hazel eyes complimented his dark hair and olive complexion so perfectly and he walked around with an essence of power and self-respect. Much different than the ivory-skinned, blonde Jessie with an attitude of arrogance and little self-respect enough she would show everything just to get a job.

"What are your plans this weekend?" he asked her. She looked at him with a sigh and shrugged her shoulders. "You couldn't wait for this weekend and now you don't even know what you're going to do?" he teased.

"I imagine I'll never change from my bathrobe and relax all weekend in front of the T.V.," she confessed.

Jim found himself a tad excited at the thought of the lovely Jessie in a bathrobe, probably a silky white one that reached her mid-thigh. He imagined the soft belt tied loosely around her stomach, resting on her hips, the ends dangling down. The top of her robe separated without her acknowledging or caring, the under-curve of her breasts visible to his appreciative glance. Her soft hair would flow over her back as she lay with her legs crossed on the couch, a straw in her mouth to suckle gently, allowing a cool beverage to slip down her throat. He shook his head and stared past her to the wall. What was he doing?

"I'm sure you'll have a fine weekend," he said politely, ashamed of his lack of control on his imagination, before turning around to leave. Jessie gazed after him with disbelief that she could tell a sexy bachelor that she had no plans and he'd leave without asking her to something. Shaking her head angrily she scowled at Amy, who had lingered behind to talk to the director, and was now staring at her. Jessie stormed off the set and began the walk back to the parking lot in anger.

"Miss Parker," Chris called after his star. "I'm not sure you got the memo. Monday, we will be hosting the Swimwear Show at the beach. There will be no morning shoot. Be at the beach by eleven and ready to wear one of the suits Maggie will pick out for you."

"I swear I was only hired to show leg!" Jessie complained at him and stomped off. Chris shook his head and threw his arms up in the air before turning around to head back to the set.

"That girl is something else!" he shouted at the cameramen. They hid their smiles as they went back to shutting all the equipment down for the weekend.

Friday afternoons were always busy for Jessie. She saved all her errands to run on the one day nobody else felt like doing work, so there were fewer lines, less people to mall over. She left the parking lot and turned to head south to the mall.

The summer sun warmed her as she parked her BMW in front of Macy's and stepped out, her small black purse hanging from her shoulder. Her dark shades blocked her eyes and her ringlets were once again released, hanging down her back. As usual, her head was up high with pride, knowing everyone nearby would be looking at her – the men, lustful and the women, envious.

Macy's was rather busier than she liked, but she was determined to buy the shoes she saw in the catalog last week. As she entered, Venice walked around the service counter and approached her, a smile on her dark face.

"Miss Parker, glad to see you again!" she said sweetly, paying a lot of attention to her favorite shopper. "How has your week been?"

"Great, Venice, thanks," Jessie said with a smile. She loved when Venice was working because she knew everything about her, her size, her favorite styles, the colors she looks good in, and even what she had considered in the past.

"What will it be today?" Venice asked, smiling as Jessie took her shades off and slipped them in her purse.

"I wanted the Elegante shoes I saw in last week's catalog and I was interested in the Swiss watch we looked at last weekend," she told her. Venice smiled and led her to the lovely sandaled heels in a glass case. The shoes were black velvet with open-toes and a dark sapphire on the top of each. Jessie smiled when she saw them and nodded her head, knowing exactly which dress she bought last week that would compliment them perfectly.

"These are great shoes, Miss," Venice admitted as she opened the case and took them out, showing them to Jessie. "Would look beautiful with that black cocktail dress you bought."

Jessie looked at the price and smiled. Next month, at her family dinner party, Jessie knew she'd be the only one wearing three-hundred dollar shoes. For some reason, that pleased her deeply. "I'll need a handbag," she said.

At the counter, Jessie looked at the lovely Elegante shoes, the Swiss watch, and the sapphire studded handbag before handing Venice her credit card and ID. As she bent to sign the receipt, she heard someone behind her.

"Wow, that much for shoes, a watch, and a purse?" Jim's voice questioned. Jessie jumped up and looked at Jim with anger. She was still sour at him for not asking her out this weekend. "I wish I had an extra thousand dollars to just throw away on a Friday afternoon."

"You do. You just prefer twenty-dollar suits," she insulted him as she finished her signature and handed Venice the store copy of the receipt. Venice put the items in a bag and handed the bag to Jessie.

"I prefer not to spend a country's net-worth in one month," Jim teased as he set his shoes down on the counter. Jessie looked at the black leather shoes and smiled. She had to admit that the man had taste. She turned around and walked out to the mall to stop at the Starbucks kiosk before heading back to the car. Sighing with annoyance, she realized Jim had paid for his shoes and was following her.

"What do you want?" she asked him. He laughed. She went to the kiosk, surprised to see no customers in line and smiled at the boy behind the counter. "A double tall White Mocha with extra vanilla and some cinnamon," she ordered quickly.

"Throw that on my bill and add a Grande Irish Crème Latte," Jim told him, opening his wallet and handing the kid a ten. "Keep the change."

"Why are you following me?" Jessie asked him. He laughed at her as they stood, waiting for their drinks. "I'm serious. You're really bugging me."

"I needed shoes," he told her. "And, I drink coffee. How do I know you didn't know where I was going to wind up and just went there first?" he teased.

"Ooh, you make me so angry, James Rawlings!" she whispered roughly as her drink was called. "I'll see you Monday."

"Yeah, I'll see you too," he chuckled, referring to her being in a swimsuit. He grabbed his drink when it was placed on the counter and walked away without saying good-bye. Jessie wanted to tilt her head back and scream, but instead grabbed her Mocha from the counter and guzzled a bit of it, ignoring the burning sensation of it sliding down her throat. She turned around and headed back to her car, annoyed and tired of dealing with everything.

She always felt better behind the wheel of the car, zipping along the road, listening to music. She would sound out the world and make it so she never had to feel any emotion besides the emotion sung about in her favorite songs. With her shades on and miles ahead of her on the freeway, Jessie was untouchable. Always untouchable. The speedometer read ninety, meaning she was zipping through life faster than ever before. In all her twenty-two years, Jessie had never felt as numb as she did now.

Red and blue lights flashed in her rear-view mirror and she stared up into it, adrenaline racing through her system. What now? The officer in the car behind her motioned with his hand for her to pull over on the wide shoulder and Jessie immediately did so, her eyes narrowed in anger as the cop pulled up behind her and stepped out of his car. She reached over to her purse and started digging to find her license.

The cop stood next to her car and looked down at her. Normally feeling great in her topless Z3, Jessie now wished she had a top up to block her from the mocking grins of the drivers passing her by.

"Do you realize how fast you were going back there?" the officer asked. Jessie looked at her speedometer and slowly shook her head, hoping the officer couldn't tell she was lying. "You were at ninety-six when I decided to pull you over. License and registration, Miss."

"I'm trying to find it," Jessie whined, looking through her checkbook. She finally started taking everything out of her purse and setting it on the seat beside her. "I can't seem to find my license!" she panicked.

"Are you a licensed driver, Miss?" he asked her. She looked up at him with tears burning behind her eyelids and nodded.

"I'm just having a really rough day," she whispered.

"Yeah, me too. Where is your license?" he questioned her grimly, his dark eyes staring her down. She instinctively pushed her thighs together as she kept looking deeper through her purse.

"If you can't hand me the proper paperwork, Miss, I'll have to take you to the station for questioning. Please step out of the vehicle," he said gruffly. Jessie nodded and shut the car completely off before stepping out of the vehicle. She stood aside as the cop bent to look under the seats for anything illegal. Jessie couldn't believe this was happening to her and she allowed a few tears to escape her eyes as she stared at the road in disbelief. Suddenly, a black Trailblazer started coming near her and she knew who it was. She raised her hand in the air and waved it down, pleased when Jim pulled over in front of her car. The cop stood up and looked at the truck before looking to Jessie.

"My co-worker," she explained as Jim stepped out of the truck and started heading to her. The cop stood in front of her and looked at Jim.

"There is nothing to see here, Sir, please get back in your truck," the cop ordered him. Jim winked at Jessie.

"I just wanted to see what the problem was," he said. "I thought I could help." He turned around and went back to the truck. Jessie threw her hands up.

"Jim! Wait! I can't find my license!" she cried. Jim stopped and looked at her and the cop with a wicked grin on his face.

"Is that all?" he asked. He reached into his coat pocket and held out her the two cards deep inside. It was her license and her credit card. She smiled and ran to him to grab them from him. "Next time when someone catches up with you to tell give you something you left on the store counter, you won't be so mean," he said, amused. She rolled her eyes before turning to the officer and handing him her license. Then, she reached into the glove box and took out her registration, handing it to him as well.

"Jessica Parker, I knew it was you," the officer said with a smile, finally friendly now that the license issue had been resolved. "I should give you a ticket for speeding and for driving without possession of your license."

Jessica looked at him sadly before leaning over a little, exposing more of her cleavage to the man. His eyes stared at her lovely C-cup breasts for a moment before he flipped his ticket book closed and smiled at her.

"But, I think you've learned your lesson," he said as he nodded his head to her and turned back to his car. Jessie smiled and looked at Jim with mischief in her eyes as the officer drove off.