Chapter 20: Calm Before the Storm

Mia sat next to Carly on the school bus Monday morning. Carly wanted to talk about Riley Bills even though they had already had several conversations about Riley over the phone on the weekend. "So what's he really like?" Carly kept asking.

"He's really a nice guy," Mia grinned as she thought about Riley and the Friday night dance, "He didn't seem full of himself at all."

Mia had been flattered that Riley Bills had chosen her as his dance partner for most of the night. She had not only been singled out by Riley to dance, but now she was allowed to see her mother. Her life was beginning to change. Mia told Carly about her mother coming over for Sunday dinner and Carly was happy for Mia, but her main focus was still Riley Bills. "When do you think will you get to see Riley again?" Carly asked eagerly.

Mia wasn't sure she would ever see Riley again, "I don't know," Mia said, disappointed he hadn't called over the weekend.

Mia soon realized she had a whole new set of problems at school. Jenna Foster and her friends were now singling Mia out with looks of disapproval. Mia had gotten on Jenna's bad side by dancing with Riley at the dance on Friday and now she was the object of Jenna's hatred. Jenna looked at Mia with daggers every chance she got.

Carly noticed Mia's plight, "Jenna is such a bitch," she whispered in Mia's ear, "She's so jealous."

"Yeah," Mia said uncomfortably, "I hope she gets over it soon."

"Oh I wouldn't count on it," Carly said with regret, "I think she's still holding a grudge against Tiffany because Brandon Godfrey chose Tiffany over her, and she likes Tiffany."

"Who does she think she is?" Mia sighed, feeling uneasy. She couldn't believe just because Riley had danced with her at the dance on Friday she had to endure Jenna's scorn. She didn't understand it.

"I bet Riley will call you tonight," Carly said. "He was really into you at the dance, I could tell."

Mia wished she shared Carly's optimism. She wasn't sure Riley was as into her as Carly thought, since he hadn't called yet. Mia didn't have all the fancy gadgets the other kids at school had. She didn't have an iPod or cell phone, because her grandpa wouldn't allow it. He was way too old fashioned. Mia was grateful they had to wear uniforms to school because she knew that her grandparents would never be willing to buy her the name brand clothing the other kids her age wore when they weren't in school. She had felt inferior her entire life. She wanted Riley to call her because it had been almost three days since the dance.

"Oh well," Mia reasoned, "So what if Riley doesn't call me, at least I got a chance to dance with him," she shrugged, but Carly knew it bothered Mia.

Angel was exhausted Monday morning from the combination of her long emotional day on Sunday and all the sex from the night before. She was showered and dressed for work, but she was barely coherent as she sat on the stool at the bar in Jordan's kitchen. Jordan poured her a hot cup of coffee and tilted the cup to her mouth, "C'mon drink up," he grinned with affection.

"I'm sooo tired," Angel complained as she attempted to sip her coffee. She squirmed uncomfortably on the stool, still feeling the spankings he had given her the night before.

"The coffee will help wake you up," Jordan assured her, and he tried not to let on how utterly exhausted he was.

"Let me stay home from work today," Angel pleaded.

Jordan shook his head, "Isn't your bottom sore enough?" He teased, "You don't want me to spank you for not going to work do you?"

"No," she pouted, "but I'm so tired."

"Drink the coffee," Jordan said firmly, "We need to get going," and he filled a travel mug with coffee for them both to take with them so they would have an extra supply.

Angel sipped her coffee, but Jordan could tell something else besides her fatigue was bothering her.

Jordan was perceptive, Angel had realized while she was taking a shower that she didn't have any more money, yet she had promised to take her daughter out to dinner. Angel had never had much money. She had been a teenager when she left Argus Falls and by the time she got to the city she was nearly penniless. Rico took her in as a teen prostitute when she was starving and although she got to eat at least one meal a day after that, Rico took almost all the money she earned. He found one reason after another to say that she owed him more money, and made sure she never had any.

It had been the same in Reno with Ethan. He took all the money Angel earned, except for a very small portion. Whenever she needed money for anything, Ethan made her do a number of degrading things to earn it from him, and what little money he let her keep he found a way to take from her. She had ugly memories of asking Ethan for money. She was afraid to ask Jordan or anyone else for money after everything she had been through with Ethan. To get away from Ethan it had taken years of hiding money from him, and he had found her stash several times and punished her for it. She finally ended up stealing some of Ethan's money from one of his casinos in order to get away. It was the only way. She began to feel panicky inside as she thought about not having any money, yet she wanted to take Mia out to dinner that night and her chest began to tighten.

Jordan noticed her trembling, "Angel," he said tenderly, "What's wrong?"

Angel pulled away from him, almost spilling her coffee, "Nothing."

Jordan grabbed her coffee mug and put it on the counter and took her in his arms, "What is it?"

Angel fell against him and began to hyperventilate.

"Angel, it's OK," Jordan said stroking her hair, "Calm down baby," he pulled her shaking body to him and kissed her forehead, "Just tell me what it is."

"Well I, um, I don't have any," she began to explain, "and E-e-th-an," she managed.

He put his finger up to her lips, "Shhh, try and relax." He held her for awhile until she calmed down. And he wondered what on earth would make her this upset. Finally her breathing became steady. He knew they were late, but this was more important to him, "Now what's wrong?" he asked softly once she was calm.

"I-I'm," and she worked at slowing down her words, "I need to take Mia out to dinner tonight, but I'm broke," she blurted.

"Is that all," Jordan said with relief and then he reached back and pulled out his wallet and handed her a couple of hundred dollars, "You have a job now remember?" He said softly, "I'll gladly give you some money to take your daughter out to dinner tonight, but if it bothers you to take a handout from me, you can consider the money an advance on your first paycheck."

She owed Jordan so much it made her head swim. It had somehow slipped Angel's mind that she was earning money every day by working as his receptionist. She hesitated before taking his money. Angel knew she was not a good employee, she had done a horrible job for him, and she hadn't even bothered to ask him how much he was paying her.

"Listen Angel," Jordan said softly, "I want to help you get on your feet, don't let things like this stress you out. I'm here for you, now take the money and forget it."

She thought of the night before when he had told her he loved her. She continued to cling to him. Her past was catching up to her. It was becoming more apparent each day that she was weak and sick from the trauma she had endured over the last fifteen years and it was beginning to manifest itself a little at a time. She wondered if she would ever feel normal again.

Jordan grabbed her hand and pressed the money into it, "Now take your daughter out for a nice dinner and get her something yummy," he smiled at her playfully and put his hand on her bottom, "and I don't want to hear another word about it or I'll spank you."

Angel blushed at his words, "OK, but I guess I should drive my own car to work today since I'll be taking Mia to dinner after work," she said.

Jordan laughed, "You're going to drive that old clunker?"

"It's a classic," she beamed.

"A hunk of junk is more like it," Jordan mused softly and he kissed her forehead. The idea of being separated from her for any length of time, even for a short car ride to work, bothered him. He felt compelled to take care of her and he hated letting her out of his sight, even for one minute. He knew that was irrational, but he couldn't help it.

Angel put the money in her purse and they walked outside. Jordan got in his truck and Angel got in her old beat up Mustang which Frank had managed to get running again. Angel loved the Mustang because it was hers. There was so little in her life that had belonged to her. She had never had a driver's license or any type of formal drivers training, but Ethan's limo driver had been her friend and when she begged him he had taught her how to drive. Over the years when Ethan hadn't been around the limo driver even let her drive Ethan's expensive sports cars, which was how she managed to learn to use a clutch. Ethan would have been angry if he had found out about it, but she and his limo driver had managed to keep it a secret.

When she arrived at the office, Angel was still feeling tired. Connie and Meredith were used to Angel now and both of them couldn't help but notice how tired she looked. Both of them exchanged knowing glances and Connie rolled her eyes playfully. Both women found humor in Angel's tiredness because they knew it was likely due to Angel and Jordan having sex all night.

When the lunch hour rolled around, instead of eating, Angel and Jordan went into his office together and lay down on his couch. Jordan held her in his arms and they both took a nap. Jordan had a longstanding habit of exercising during his lunch break, but he hadn't been able to do that for awhile now, ever since Angel began working for him. As he held Angel in his arms, he never wanted to let her go. Both of them slept soundly until the alarm on Jordan's watch woke them up and then they both yawned and stretched.

"Back to work I guess," Jordan sighed.

Angel looked at the locked door of his office, "Connie and Meredith probably think we we're in here having a nooner," she smiled.

Jordan smirked, "Probably, and then he leaned forward and kissed her."

"You are so good to me," She whispered and then she moved slowly downward and undid the fly of his pants, taking out his semi-hard cock and placing it in her mouth.

"Angel," he said as the pleasure surged through him, "We don't have time for this."

She grinned wickedly, "I think we do," she said as her warm tongue licked the underside of his cock. He twitched with pleasure as he felt her mouth engulf him.

"Lay back and relax," she said seductively in between sucking and licking him and as she began to suck him harder it felt so good it didn't take long for him to climax. He stiffened as the hot liquid pumped out of the end of his swollen cock into her mouth and she swallowed every drop of it. It felt fantastic to Jordan, and as he thought of how good she was at pleasuring him it also occurred to him how many men she had been with over the years in order to acquire such wonderful skills as a lover.

"That felt fantastic," he said.

She smiled at him with affection, "I'm glad you liked it."

Jordan didn't often think about the other men or the fact that she had been with Ethan, but for some reason today after she had given him a blowjob, it was foremost on his mind. His blood boiled as he thought about it and before he could stop himself, words came out of his mouth that he wished he hadn't said. "I bet you did that for Ethan a lot," and she could hear the anger in his voice.