Carnal Desire Ch. 11-17

Last night I texted my parents letting them know I had something important to discuss with them. I would have gone to them straight away, but they had a business meeting in Miami this weekend. So, I figured I wouldn't bother them with it until I was able to make some sense of it.

I stepped out of my room sporting my blue 'Savage' sweater with the dripping white letters and skinny splice denim jeans. Along with my wheat-colored mid-sized Timberland boots.

When I entered the kitchen, I was all too happy to see my parents sitting at the table. Dressed in their usual business attire. Mom was in a white Chanel jacket with black trimmed edges, a white blouse underneath and a black mid length skirt. Along with black leather Chanel sling backs. Dad with in a dressed in a navy-blue Armani suit, light blue dress shirt and black leather oxfords. Both of them looking like the picture of sophistication.

Both of them got up and came up to me, wrapping me up in a group hug. It had felt like ages since I actually got a chance to see my parents. With them being so busy with work and coming home late, it seemed like our schedules were a bit more hectic than usual.

Not realizing until now just how much I actually missed them. I took a moment to breathe in their aroma. My mom's lavender scent taking me back to when she would read to me before bed, while my dad's woodland cologne reminding me of all the late-night sparring sessions. And now that I say that out loud, it sounds like something out of the Brady Bunch or a Leave it to Beaver episode. How picturesque.

My mom was the first one to speak. "I missed you so much. It feels like years since the last time I seen you." She said as she squeezed me tighter.

"I know. I missed you too mom." I replied feeling comforted in their presence.

A fake cough could be heard. Both mom and I turned to my dad. "Excuse me, what am I? Chopped liver?" Me and mom just smiled at his feigned hurt expression.

I let go of my mom and pulled my dad in for a hug, "Of course I missed you too pops." I said into his shoulder.

The three of us took our usual seats at the table where an assortment of breakfast foods were placed in the middle. Scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns, waffles, toast, bagels, fresh fruits, and orange juice. Mom definitely went all out for breakfast this morning. "So, how has everything been here at home?" Mom asked before taking a bite of her bagel.

"It's been okay." I say feeling anxious. I knew what I was about to tell them could possibly go horribly wrong, I poured myself a glass of orange juice as a small distraction.

"Just, okay?" My dad asks with a raised eyebrow.

I took a drink of my orange juice. "All things considered, yes. Just okay." I say as I put the glass down.

"Well, that sounds rather bleak." Dad commented with a smirk and tinge of sarcasm.

"Jordan honey, what's been going on?" My mom asked, all forms of humor had vacated as both of my parents were staring at me with concerned expressions. "From the sounds of your message, whatever's going on sounded pretty urgent." My mom continued.

"Yeah, about that. Mom, dad, I have something to tell you that you're probably not going to like."

The conversation I had with my parents went a lot better than I expected. I actually didn't think they would take the news that well. Thank God for small favors. There were more details to iron out, but we managed to come up with a rough layout of how we were going to proceed. Relieving me of the stress I would have had I not talked with them.

By the end of it I was happy they at least had an inkling of what should be done, aside from a few minor details. Dad told me not to worry and that he would take care of it. My job was to focus on my assignments, which I reluctantly agreed to. I didn't like the feeling of not being able to contribute as much as I wanted.

However, I could tell my mom was a little more worried than she let on, concerned about how things might turn out. But since we had more of an idea of what we were up against, this time things would be a little easier. We had no reason not to trust my dad. He had been able to acquire the information we needed previously. Basically, it was decided that we all try to remain in daily contact, like clockwork.

I finished breakfast as quickly as I could and left for school. Once I pulled into the parking lot, I got out of my car, not seeing Kennedy or Cole in their normal spot out in front, I proceeded to go into the building. With every step I took I felt more hopeful than I had felt in weeks. Although my elation wasn't completely depleted, I felt like I could relax just a little.

I made my way through the thicket of students roaming the halls, towards the hallway where my locker was located. Hastily sorting out what I would and wouldn't need for the first half of school. As a few of the students cleared out, I seeing my friends standing next to Cole's locker at the end of the hall.

I knew I had been acting distant from them lately, an action I was now about to make up for. I needed to get my life back where it was prior to Sydney. Even though I hated doing it, it had to be done. I didn't want to be stuck in the pit of despair that I had been living in. Today I was going to rectify my prior actions and earn back their forgiveness.

"Hey, what's up guys? How's it going?" I asked as I approached them, my eyes darting from Kennedy to Cole. Hoping what I was about to do would be received well by the pair.

They both shared a look. "It's going alright." Kennedy said, speaking for the both of them. Reluctance and question in her answer.

"Do you guys got a second?" I asked sheepishly, my confidence draining as I thought about what I wanted to say.

"Umm, yeah sure." Cole said as he shut his locker and then hoisting his bag over his shoulder.

There was no other way to say it. I just had to bite the bullet. "Well, I just wanted to say I'm sorry for the way I've been acting the last couple of months." Kennedy and Cole both furrowed their brows. "Okay, I admit, it's been pretty much all year. I've been distant and distracted a lot. I just want to apologize to you both. I know you guys don't deserve to be treated that way. I also want you to know, I love and appreciate you both." I confessed in a rush.

"Awe, how sweet." Kennedy said as she playfully gasped in mock sweetness, covering a single hand over her heart. "Who are you and what have you done with our friend?" She questioned, the mocking tone all but disappeared.

"Yeah seriously," Cole interjected, staring at me suspiciously, "are you sure you're not some alien life form sent to gain our trust and do weird experiments on us?" He whispered, while invading my private space to mockingly inspect me further.

"Why does that get you excited Cole?" I questioned teasingly. I looked around making sure no one else was listening. "Do you secretly want to get probed?" I added in a whisper.

"Fuck you!" His expression serious.

I knew it irritated him every time I teased him about being gay. But he's never really been one to hold a grudge for too long, or at all actually, it didn't take long for the three of us to explode in roaring laughter. Our friendly banter the same as it ever was.

"On the real though, there's nothing to forgive Jay." Kennedy stated as she put her left arm over my shoulder, pulling me for a side hug.

"For real, we always got your back. No matter what." Cole agreed as he did the same with his right arm, pulling me in for a side hug once Kennedy was finished.

"Thanks guys." I replied, feeling relieved.

"Now let's stop with all this teen angst-y shit and get to class." Cole commented as we pulled away from each other. "Lord knows I can't afford another detention from Mrs. Meyer's, that bitch be giving them out like they're lollipops." He continued while shaking his head.

"Do people just be giving out lollipops these days?" I asked giving them both a questioning look.

"Doctors, Dentists, kidnappers and pedophiles as far as I know." Kennedy threw out there nonchalantly.

"Is there really a difference between pedophiles and kidnappers? I mean, aren't they like, one in the same?" Cole inquired, obviously intrigued by the current topic.

"I would say in some instances they are." Kennedy stated.

"Who really cares. Either way, they're both sickos and weirdos." I exclaimed, throwing in my two cents. The pair looked at me then to each other, shrugging their shoulders in defeat.

After the somewhat disturbing discussion the three of us went to our respective classes where learning ensued. Which surprisingly I actually paid attention because final exams were coming up in two weeks. Studying was top three on my list of what I needed to get done.

The morning classes went by quicker than I expected, a nice lunch reprieve was definitely in order. Luckily for me, it happened to be my cheat day. So, I loaded up on carbs, which was basically a turkey sub, chips and a Wild Cherry Pepsi. Before lunch I texted my friends telling them to meet me out in the quad. Deciding to take full advantage of the early spring weather.

As I made my way out of the cafeteria, I spotted my friends sitting next to a large maple tree. Approaching the duo, I could hear them discussing one of their many "engaging topics", which this time happened to be this past weekend's party.

"I can't believe I got so wasted at the party. I had so much to drink, I can't even remember how I ended up passed out on the front lawn." Cole confessed, smiling and shaking his head in disbelief.

"Yeah, me too. I'm surprised I didn't embarrass myself in front of Carter. I mean, do you realize how catastrophic that would be to my reputation." Kennedy complained, while Cole nodded his head in agreement. I on the other hand would support her from the sidelines. Personally, I didn't really care where I stood in the social hierarchy of school, not that I'm judging anyone who cares about it or anything. I just had more important things to worry about.

In fact, I was rather envious of the kids at school who were able to devote themselves to such a conventional luxury. On the outside looking in, everything may seem ordinary for me, but my every day concerns were becoming more plentiful as time went by.

"Speaking of the party, where did you run off to that night?" Kennedy inquired, pulling me away from my thoughts.

"I know right. I didn't even get a chance to kick it with you." Cole added, the duo looking at me with curiosity.

"Not my fault. Kennedy took off looking for you like ten minutes after we got there. I chilled out by the pool for a while, talked to a few people. I got tired and went home. Which is when I messaged you both about KD needing a ride home." I retorted, looking at the both of them as I took a drink from my Pepsi. Attempting to shrug off the night's events. "Didn't see or hear from either of you until this morning." I quickly added, hoping the guilt card would pay off. If not then, oh well. I tried.

"Yeah, sorry about that Jay. I ran into Carter and got caught up in a game of couple's beer pong. We ended up playing a few rounds." Kennedy explained with an apologetic expression. Followed by her million-dollar smile. I didn't know exactly what it was, but something seemed a little off about her explanation. It made me wonder if there was more to it than what she said. Whatever the case may be, I knew she would tell me eventually. For now, I will let sleeping dogs lie.

I turned my attention to Cole who was giving a Kennedy a strange look. One that I wasn't probably supposed to see. I decided not to put too much thought into it, for all I knew it was the sun in his eyes causing him to look at her like that. "What about you? How was your party going experience?" I asked him curiously, then taking a bite of my sandwich.

"Not bad. Although, I don't remember much. I can only recall being there the first half hour and after that, nothing. So, I'm guessing it went pretty good, aside from the waking up outside part." He replied nonchalantly. "I mean, no one has yet to have commented on anything I did as being idiotic." He said with a shrug of his shoulders.

"That's just because people know you. For you it comes naturally." Kennedy teased without missing a beat.

Cole shot Kennedy a glare, but then his expression softened. "Normally I would take offense to that, but I'm not going to your negativity ruin a perfectly fabulous day." He stated. Both me and Kennedy shared a look. "What?!" Cole exclaimed as he noticed our reaction.

"Nothing." I said smirking, I glanced at Kennedy who was staring at her nails. Cole shot me a pleading look, urging me to voice my thoughts. "I'm just trying to figure out what to get you for your coming out party." I teased while Cole stared daggers at me.

"Me too, I'm thinking a map and a flashlight would suffice." Kennedy added with a fake thoughtful expression.

"Why those two things?" He asked confused.

"Because you're so far in the closet, you're going to need them to get out." Kennedy replied while I stifled a laugh.

"Fuck you and Fuck you." He said as he jabbed a finger in the air in both of our directions, causing us to laugh at his reaction to which he joined in on. It was things like this that I missed the most, just being able to laugh and joke around with my friends.

By the end of fifth period, I was at a crossroads. Wondering if I should just confess to Sydney what I've been longing to do since I returned home from LA. Maybe it would help her to understand how easily I could help resolve everything with Drake.

And with what I learned at the party; it somewhat alleviated my prior worries. Because at least now we had something to build on. My parents would see to it that our threat couldn't diminish everything they or rather us have worked so hard for.

Maybe it was wishful thinking on my part. I wanted that chance to be with Sydney. I wanted it so much I was willing to risk everything and the safety of everyone for the sake of my selfishness. I know I said I was going to let her go, but the other part of me, the part of me with the massive hole in my heart needed her more than anything.

Which is why I couldn't allow my selfishness to get in the way of the grand scheme of things. It's because I love her, I need to stay as far as I can away from her. If only I could give in to the what if of it all.

That right there was enough reason for me to make my decision.

*****^^^^^*****

Tuesday March 16th

SYDNEY

I was seated next to Keira in a quaint little restaurant two towns from where we lived. Keira and I made the drive here because not only did she want to have lunch so we could catch up on things, but she also scheduled an interview for the magazine she worked for, and this evening was the only time slot they had available.

Keira and I arrived at the establishment an hour earlier than expected to discuss this particular meeting and how important it was, not just for her and the magazine she represented, but for the people we were here to meet as well.

This was nothing out of the ordinary for us, I had accompanied Keira on multiple occasions during college and when she landed her first journalist position. At first it started out as moral support, but the more I would accompany her, the more interested and invested I became that I couldn't resist adding a few questions of my own. I actually enjoyed the questionnaire aspect of it, inquiring about this and that, assisting Keira with questions she may have forgotten or didn't think to ask.

Not that Keira wasn't thorough, it just seemed to help a little if I didn't know anything about the person or people she was interviewing. More often than not, it gave them a chance to boast little about their companies' accomplishments.

The quiet corner we were seated in provided enough discretion for both parties. Keira and I were in the middle of talking about work when we heard the bell to the entrance ding, out of mere habit we both turned our heads to see who now entered.

I couldn't help but to stare at the beautiful blond woman as she stepped through the threshold of the restaurant. My mouth was agape as I eyed the elegance she exuded, dressed in a white pencil skirt, blouse and jacket. Her dark Prada sunglasses blocking the color of her eyes, yet you could tell she was scanning the room.

Something about her facial features reminded me of someone I knew, I couldn't quite put my finger on it. Before I had time to ponder it further, a tall dark and handsome man came through the doorway and stood next to the woman in white, wrapping his arm around her waist. He too was immaculately dressed, wearing a light grey three-piece suit, white dress shirt and a pair of alligator skin wingtip shoes. The couple appeared to draw attention from everyone in the establishment.

The couple didn't seem to notice or didn't feel the need to acknowledge the attention they wielded. Before I knew it, the well-dressed couple started walking in our direction, which until then I didn't realize Keira had been waving them over to our table.

Both Keira and I stood up as the couple approached the table. "Good afternoon. Thank you both for agreeing to meet on such short notice." Keira greeted them. All of shaking hands in the process.

"It's no trouble at all really." The handsome man replied.

"I believe what my husband is trying to say and failing miserably," the gorgeous woman said as she teasingly chided her husband. "- is thank you for the invitation." Her radiant smile shone throughout the room. I immediately took a liking to her calm and serene demeanor.

"As always, my wife is correct." The man seeming unphased by his wife's jesting, his only reaction was to smile at her with adoration. He continued, "We most certainly couldn't pass up the opportunity for Euphony Spirit Magazine."

"I don't know if it's as big as an opportunity as you make it out to be but thank you." Keira replied with a subtle blush at the compliment.

"Don't be so modest. I've read all about your magazine." The man said leaning back comfortably in his chair. "Yet, still in its infancy with only being two years old, has become a powerhouse and manifested a large fan base among musicians, artists and anyone in the entertainment industry, not to mention fans of music everywhere. I'm sure my colleagues would agree your magazine has certainly made an impact thus far. I respect that your magazine doesn't adhere to just one genre or style but embraces all, from classical to rock to hip hop. A very unique blend in which is much appreciated if I do say so myself."

It really should not have come as no surprise that he did his research. Most businesses do. But his delivery seemed a lot more sincere the ones I've been privy to tagging along with in the past. And by the looks of it, Keira must have thought the same exact thing.

"Well thank you. That means a lot coming from someone of your caliber." Keira admitted. She quickly regained her composure and resumed the interview. "Taking a small independent company and expanding it within a years' time. Making it one of the most influential companies in the music industry today. Multimillion dollar company, no doubt about to be a multibillion-dollar company with the added expansion of labels in a total of five countries, each holding a minimum of three studios in different regions of those countries. Very impressive."

"Great, now that we all know you both did your homework. What do you say we get down to real reason we came." The gorgeous blond woman said with a charming smile.

As the interview progressed, the more infatuated with them we became. Not only did they seem down to earth and not at all snobbish, they were genuine in their answers, expressions and over all demeanors. They had a warming and caring aura surrounding them that I found to be invigorating.