Songs for the Chapter:

Got to Choose- KISS

The Girl is Mine- Michael Jackson

{M A U R A}

If I crossed one leg over the other and centered most of my weight on my right side, the pain wouldn't be as intense.

I sat patiently and uncomfortably at my kitchen table, watching lazy bubbles float to the surface of my champagne. Jax was on my mind and I couldn't stop thinking about the night we'd had before-- one that I'd concealed from Jon completely.

It was considerably better this time, since the pain could be anticipated. I also excused myself from his presence, almost right after he'd finished-- it helped me cope with the reality of what I was doing.

That being said, it still made me feel hollow inside. The feeling only went away when he told me he wanted me again soon.

"Dad? What's taking so long?" I called into the kitchen. No one replied.

I sighed and got up from the dining room table. I walked as quickly as I could (without causing myself any more pain) into the foyer, where both my parents were standing.

"What are we waiting on? We're having veal tonight."

"Yes, I know dear," my father responded somewhat mechanically. He only spoke like this when he knew he was doing something I didn't like. "However, we must wait for the guests to arrive first. Then we'll eat."

"Guests?" I groaned. My mom shot me a sympathetic glance.

"Some of your father's high-end clients are joining us for dinner tonight. Don't worry, it'll be painless, sweetheart. Just be your usual... sweet... welcoming self."

"B-but-"

"No time to argue, here they come."

I stood on tip toes and peered over my father's shoulder and out the window. A long black limo was pulling up the circle drive, the sleek paint winking in the moonlight. It stopped right before the steps and the driver got out, coming around to open the door for his passengers.

Out came a tall slim man with pale, papery skin and colorless eyes. He was followed by a short, dark-skinned woman with kinky hair and a curvy frame.

I choked loudly when I saw the last person to get out of the car.

"Maura? What is with you?" Mom said quickly as our housekeeper came to receive our guests at the front door.

I scurried backward despite the pain, watching with wide eyes as the door opened and the guests came in.

"Mr. Williams, I am glad you could make it," my father said in his professional black guy voice.

"Of course, Vanderbilt. I wouldn't miss a chance to come see this lovely home of yours, not when there's free brandy involved. Am I right?"

The two men shared a laugh.

"You look so well put together Melissa," the dark women smiled. Her teeth were stunningly white. "I'm jealous. Is this a piece from Harry Winston?" She touched Mom's diamond necklace.

"Custom," my mom said primly.

I couldn't take my eyes away from him, standing there in a wrinkle-free suit and tie. His emerald gaze wasn't leaving mine either, and from the look of satisfaction on his face I could tell that he was pretty damn happy with himself.

The dark woman looked over and saw me. "Is that beautiful little thing your daughter?"

"Oh!" My mom exclaimed, having forgotten about me completely. "Where are my manners? Sweetheart, this is Harper and Ledawn Williams, they own a large share in a corporation. Harper, Ledawn... this is my daughter Maura."

I numbly went to them and shook their hands, but even then I couldn't force a smile.

"Oh my god, you're a picture of perfection! You must have to beat the men off of her, Rob," the tall slim man said.

"Oh, she does that very well herself," my father answered.

"Yes, and this is our son."

I looked up at Green Eyes again with acute horror. I turned into a block of ice as he took my hand, raising it very slowly to his lips.

"Jesse Williams. Very nice to meet you, Miss Vanderbilt."

He gave my hand a slow, lingering kiss. I swiped it away, just staring at him.

"Green... Eyes." I gasped. It was the first time I'd ever called him that anywhere outside of my own mind.

"Yes, they're very green aren't they?" he responded slickly. "Do you like them?"

"Where is the food, Robert?" Harper said, saving me from more awkward conversation with Green Eyes... or, Jesse I guess. "I'm starved."

"Right this way."

As everyone followed my father into the dining room, I tried slipping up the staircase. Unfortunately, I was caught in the act by a very disapproving mother.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm... I'm feeling tired. Thought I might hit the hay early?"

Her eyes narrowed. She saw right through my bullshit.

"Nonsense. Come down here and be social, you've got to represent for your father and I."

"But-"

"Maura Elaine Vanderbilt! I do not wanna hear your selfish whining."

I glared at her and came down the stairs with my arms crossed. She put her fake smile back on and led me by the arm to the dining room, where she deposited me in the spot right beside Jesse's.

I felt him looking at me, so I chose to focus on arranging my silverware perfectly as the housekeeper and chef began making plates.

The adults delved immediately into boring discussion and talk of stocks, how the country is going downhill, the usual old people griping.

He leaned close as the housekeeper piled steaming slices of veal onto his plate.

"You look perfect tonight. Like nothin' I've ever seen, I'll be damned if I don't need a cold shower by the end of the night."

I frowned deeply. "You're disgusting."

He grinned. "Tell me something I don't know, Cherry."

So he did remember me. My eyes flashed to his and then away quickly.

"Don't pretend like you don't remember our little talk. Now that we're not slumming it with the poor people and you see what I really am, you'll reconsider."

I glared at him. "What you really are?"

"A fine young debutant with much to offer."

"Fine?"

All I could think of was Jax's battered body after going toe-to-toe with Jesse. Nothing about that screamed 'fine young debutant' to me.

"I see the two of you are becoming acquainted," Ledawn winked as she cut up her veal. "Jess, what nonsense are you filling that girl's head with?"

"Mom, relax. I was just telling her about my plans to attend Columbia."

"Oh yes," Harper said with pride. "Our Jesse is the top of his class down at Meijer Private Institute, and Columbia has already offered to admit him, free of charge. Not that that was necessary, but they didn't want any other school snapping him up!"

Everyone laughed but me. Jesse gloated with those eyes of his, full of conceited self-praise.

I glared at my plate.

"Is there something wrong with your food, honey?" Mom looked at me intensely. This was her way of telling me to eat up and stop acting like a brat, but I ignored her.

"No," I mumbled. I pushed the veal around on my plate without taking a bite. I was far too sick to my stomach to be hungry anymore.

"What does your Maura plan on doing for college?"

I wore a very serious expression. "I suppose college will have to wait until after my Olympic career is over. There are far more important things to be done than sitting around listening to some not with-the-times professor preach about the 'good old days'."

My father coughed to hide his laughter. My mom looked horrified.

"Olympics?" Jesse said, concealing a smile.

I redirected my glare at him. "Yeah. I'm a gymnast, the best damn one in this town."

"Yes," my dad said, looking at me with perhaps more pride than Harper had when speaking of Jesse. "She's my little star. Been in the gym since she could walk. Coach thinks this is her year."

"Don't you want a more... rebliable job? Athletic careers can end in the blink of an eye." Jesse snidely said this and placed a piece of veal on his tongue.

"So can academic ones. All it takes is a fist hitting the right place, and you've got a few less IQ points. Wouldn't you say so, Jesse?"

He squinted at me. "It's much more likely that you'd break an ankle, tear an ACL."

"Oh yeah? I don't think you've ever seen me in my element."

"And you've seen me in mine?" he almost snapped back, poised and ready.

I had the intention of taking him on and I would've, if it weren't for my mother stepping in and cutting through the tension.

"Maura! Why don't you show your guest some hospitality. Take him upstairs and show him the record closet, why don't you? We adults need to talk about adult things, without young ears listening and disrupting."

I frowned at her. "Really? Are we really doing this?"

"She collects records," my father butted in. "Many of them, fine specimen too. She's got shelves and shelves of them. I'm sure Jesse would love to see."

I stood up quickly. "Fine. I'll show him lots of records," I said bitterly under my breath.

I motioned for Jesse to follow me. He grinned again, wiped his mouth and rushed to follow me up the spiral staircase to my bedroom. I paused and waited on the staircase until they thought that we were out of earshot.

"A... strong willed one, that Maura is," Harper said. "She'll be tough to tame."

"No one will tame her." My father's voice was brief and snappy.

And that was the end of conversation regarding me.

Once we got to my room, I gazed back at him with the worst look of resentment that I could muster. He shut the door slowly and came closer, all traces of amusement had gone from him.

"I'd rather bite through my tongue than go to Columbia."

I edged toward the record closet. "What? Do your parents know that?"

"Of course not," he scoffed, removing his sport coat and tossing it to the side. "You know how it goes with people like us. You've gotta do what they want, there's no way out of it."

"'Us'?" I glowered at him.

"You know, people with money. We're the only ones who could ever truly understand one another. Don't you think, Cherry? Columbia is stupid, but I have no plan to ever leave Chicago."

"Let's pick a record," I changed the subject, opening the door.

"A gymnast. I like it, Cherry. I love the way you challenge me, I could only tolerate it from a classy thing, such as yourself. Keeps me on my toes. If you wanna be a gymnast, you be a fucking gymnast."

"Already done," I replied flatly and went into the record closet.

He was quiet for a moment. "You're not too keen on letting people in, are you?"

I looked at him and sighed. He was begging me to play the game of flirtation with him, and as desperately as I wanted to stick it to him, my old ways were even more tempting.

"No. I'm very... particular."

His tongue darted over his lips and wet them. "I like it. I like everything about you, Cherry. We could work together in fighting the man, huh?"

I looked at him. "Pick a record."

"How about we make out on your bed instead?"

I smirked. "Pick."

He sighed. "Fine. I like Roberta Flack, put her on."

I went into the closet and came out seconds later with the best of Roberta Flack. I put it on my turntable and looked at him, the way his eyes closed and his lips tightened when her buttery voice flooded into the room.

"Dance with me." He held a hand out.

"Are you kidding?"

"Nope."

I have no clue what was going through my mind as I went to him and took his hand, trying not to gasp as he held my waist. We swayed back and forth to the music, but I could hardly hear it over his heavy breathing.

"You like power, don't you Cherry?"

"Um..."

"What if I told you that I could make you the most powerful girl in all of Chicago?"

I pulled away just enough so that I could look into those emerald portals of his. I frowned, knowing exactly what he was referring to. He hadn't taken over Jax's part of the city yet anyway, so what was he proposing?

"You don't have that kind of power."

His eyes narrowed. "Don't pretend to know anything about the subject."

"Do your parents know who you are?" I blurted before I could think. I instantly regretted it.

"Who I... am? Or what I do?"

"Nothing," I whispered and placed my ear over his heart.

"I like your attitude. Whatever you want, you go and get it. I need someone like that by my side... I'm tired of flaunting around these... fickle whores and weaklings. Besides, our parents would be thrilled by such a union, don't you think? We'd be the hottest thing at your Cotillion next year, an escort like me. I could give you everything you ever wanted. Name it, it's yours."

"If he even knew I was doing this, you'd be dead!" I breathed.

"Who? Do you have a guy?"

That was a complicated question. Long story short?

"No."

"I could put a fatwa on you," he replied almost aggressively. "One whisper to the right person, no one in this city will dare to touch you. You'd be mine politically, if not physically quite yet. I can have you any way I want, so why don't you just let me in the easy way?"

I smacked his hands away from me and took a step back.

"Who the hell do you think you are? This isn't how it works! You can't just whisper a few sweet words and expect me to go nuts for you, alright? We just met, and there are things you don't know about me. This isn't gonna happen."

He smiled. "There are even more things you don't know about me. Let's learn together."

I remained silent as he eased up to me again, arms open wide.

"Let me make it easier. You don't even have to say anything. All you have to do is let me kiss you, and the work is done."

For some reason I couldn't move as he placed both his warm hands on the sides of my face, as his thumb traced my cheekbone lightly. He seemed well-intentioned, even if he was a power maniac who hurt Jax...

The door swung open, and we both gasped.

Jon stood in the doorway, and as he registered the scene before him, his eyes swole to the size of golf balls.

"It's him!" he hissed, glaring at Jesse.

"Jon, hush!" I ran to him and clapped a hand over his mouth before he could say anything more. I warned him with my eyes, Jesse couldn't know that I knew anything about Jax or the turf war.

"Freckles!" He whispered through my hand. "You gotta-"

I turned to Jesse. "He's an idiot, don't mind him."

Jesse's expression was pained and irritated. "He your guy?"

"No!" I said quickly. Jon glared at me. "He's just my friend, and he's kinda protective. I... I promised I'd make time tonight to work on our chemistry project so... you should go join everyone downstairs. Wouldn't wanna bore you."

He could probably see that I wasn't budging on this one. Jesse went to the door, grabbing his jacket along the way.

He turned in the doorway. "I'll be seeing you."

He disappeared.

I took my hand away from Jon's mouth. He stared me down for a little while as I took the Roberta Flack record and put it away, carefully cleaning the grooves as I did so.

"You get crazier every time I look at you," he said softly.

{A/N}

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