Jodie slowly placed the phone down; her hands were shaking slightly too. Marshall seemed off on the phone and it caused a pit in Jodie's stomach to form. The thing that made her nervous wasn't the request but was the fact Marshall wasn't letting her go home to get changed and it appeared to her that he wasn't asking her on a lunch date at the studio, otherwise he'd have let her go home and get out of her work clothes first.

Jodie's head was spinning by the time she'd eventually managed to find her way back to her car. She had no idea what could have gotten Marshall so wound up; at least that's how she interpreted the bluntness of his request or more like the bluntness of his demand. As she pulled out of the car park Jodie replayed the events of the night before, how'd they'd slept together and she'd called her dad lying that Blink was ill to stay the night with him.

Needing some sort of reassurance, she reached out to call Taylor through the Bluetooth connection. It was then when she reached out to call her friend, that she noticed how her hands were still shaking. Breathing in and out she gripped the wheel trying to stay calm; having the feeling that she was perhaps overreacting a little.

''What's up, ya know I'm not your mom, right? You don't have to call me when you're on your way home,'' Taylor joked as she picked up the phone, knowing that Jodie should be on her way back from work.

''I know dumbass, I'm letting you know I'm gonna be home later,'' Jodie responded giving a nervous laugh. Just hearing the humour in Taylor's voice had calmed her a little, but the nerves were still there deep down in the pit of her stomach.

''Ooh hot lunch date? You know I'm a little surprised you're not still all wrapped up in the sheets with him after you didn't come home last night little missy,'' Taylor started to laugh, but when there was just silence on Jodie's side, she stopped and started to speak again, ''Jo, you ok?''

''I don't think it's a date, Tay. I mean he was really blunt in asking me to come to the studio and well when I suggest if I could go home and change he said I needed to just come to the studio immediately,''  Jodie breathed a huge sigh of relief, hoping that Taylor had some good advice for her.

''Maybe it is and he ordered hot food and he don't want it to get cold.''

''Somehow I don't think that's what it is,'' Jodie replied, knowing her friend's heart was in the right place.

''Well if he breaks up with you after you two slept together I don't know about you, but imma be pissed as fuck. Cause that's an asshole move if I ever saw one,'' Taylor threatened and Jodie could just see her rolling her sleeves up ready for a fight.

''That's what I'm worried about, he seemed off on the phone ya know like he mad at me for something and I can't work out what it is,'' Jodie explained, the butterflies building up in her stomach as pulled into the car park ajacendt to Marshall's studio. Her first obstacle was getting past the security guard who stood by the red and white striped barrier that restricted access.

''Good,'' the guard glanced down at he watch to check what time of day it was, ''Afternoon Ma'am, please state your business.''

''Erm Marshall asked me to come down, he wanted to see me,'' Jodie was nervous as the guard looked through the open window of her car.

''Just give me a second, could you tell me your name,'' he spoke into a walkie talkie that had been clipped onto her belt.

''Jodie Kingly,'' she stated.

The guard nodded disappearing into the little glass hut that stood next to the barrier, leaving Jodie to drown in her thoughts for a while. Taylor had hung up as soon as the security guard had starting speaking and had texted her instead.

Tay-Good luck and if he breaks up with you I'll be his ass

Me-I don't doubt it

''Sorry about that you can go through,'' the barrier lifted as soon as the guard spoke, thanking him Jodie started her car back up and drove through the barrier in search of a space.

At first, she wasn't sure where to park, there was a couple of spaces, however, not many. The only problem she had was she didn't want to park next to Marshalls because if he did leave her and then wanted to go at the same time an awkward encounter was not something she wanted to be apart of. Finally, after a couple of minutes, she parked between a Mercedes and a rather battered-looking Golf, which she knew for a fact couldn't possibly belong to Marshall.

Now that she had parked her next obstacle was to find the entrance and navigate the entirety of it to find Marshall. There was no guard at the entrance of the studio, although it didn't stop her from feeling a little embarrassed walking into a very famous studio in her diner outfit, which consisted of the 50s still dress, accompanied by a white apron and hat (fortunately for her she'd taken the hat off and stuffed it in the glove compartment of her car).

The second she walked in the two receptionists that sat behind the front desk started to stare at her. One of them turned away to hide their face. Jodie didn't need to be told that she was laughing at her from behind the computer screen.

''Hi, how can I help you?'' the second woman asked plastering a fake smile across her lips.

''I'm here to see Marshall?'' Jodie asked hoping pure honestly would stop them from judging her.

''Mr Mathers isn't seeing anyone at all right now so maybe you should go back to whatever fancy dress store you came from,'' the woman's professional demeanour faltered as she started to laugh, the other receptionist joined in too.

''No you don't understand just tell him Jodie's here,'' Jodie wasn't sure why she was pleading with the women she knew they weren't going to believe her.

''How about I tell security there's a Jodie that appears to have lost her way,'' the women started laughing again but promptly stopped when the other receptionist hit her on the arm.

Frowning Jodie turned round to see someone who might just be her saviour. Even though she'd never formally me Paul Rosenburg, she hoped he'd hear her out. So taking a step forward to approach him she opened her mouth, but it turned out she didn't need too.

''You're Jodie right?'' He asked pointing at her.

''Yeah, Marshall asked me to stop by after work, hence the er outfit,'' she pulled at the apron she was still wearing tied around her waist.

''Ah, I'll take you up,'' he chucked moving his hand to gesture towards the lift in front of him. Taking her chance Jodie pressed the button and waited for the doors to open, while Paul called over to the receptionists, ''put Jodie Kingly on the ok list please ladies,'' they grumbled their responses shyly nodding while they did what he said.

The ride in the lift was a little awkward. Jodie was exactly sure what to say as Paul appeared to be paying more attention to what was on his phone rather than her. Not that she minded, in fact, the silence gave her time to compose herself. It wasn't until the doors slid open did he speak to her.

''He should be right down here,'' she nodded following behind him as he led her down the hallway.

''Thank you,'' Jodie thanked him as he stood outside a door labelled private studio. She'd expected him to just leave her by the door, but he swung it open stepping through before her.

''I present to you your Girlfriend Marshall,'' Paul must have expected some sort of laugh, but the room was completely silent, ''have I missed something?'' He questioned a little puzzled.

''Little bit,'' Jodie recognised Denuan's voice. Craning her head around Pauls body she noticed him standing up along with Royce who also appeared to be in the room.

''Yeah um, we were gonna leave them alone for a little,'' Royce tired to whisper to Paul on his way out, but since Jodie was behind him, it didn't exactly help with her nerves.

''Right ok,'' the room emptied after that, leaving Jodie alone with Marshall, who was sat in a spinning chair one of his legs lay across the other as his arm then rested near the edge of the seat. He looked casual and a little carefree.

''So...'' Jodie started to speak, but he cut her off by near enough jumping out of the chair towards her.

''I just wanna ask you a question that's been bugging me since this moring ok. I promise no matter what the answer is I ain't gonna be made or break up with you. I'm aware I was a little bit of an asshole on the phone earlier,'' his hands came to rest on her shoulders, making her keep constant eye contact with him. She did, however, feel a little better about the conversation that was going to occur.

''Ok, what's the question?'' her voice shook as she moved her arms to coss across her chest in an attempt to hide her shaking hands.

''How do you know Joe?''

''You mean Budden right?'' She frowned raising an eyebrow; ''that's what this was about,'' she muttered under her breath.

''Yeah, I just wanna know why he decided to talk about you with Royce yesterday and why he ended up trying to talk with you at the ice rink. oh, and why you were so mad at him too?'' Jodie sighed, shrugging Marshalls hands of her shoulders so she could take hold of him and pull him over to the two-seater sofa that was tucked in the corner of the room.

''It's a long story, but it started with a date.''

So this was a little longer than I would have liked, meaning all the details concerning Jodie and Joe's previous relationship will be revealed in the next chapter otherwise this would have been way too long😔😭

Anyway as usual thanks for all the votes and comments it means a lot to me💕