Unions In The Night by Wolfsword
Thursday Night - Part One
"Alright!" Kerri shoved the key into the door and kicked it open, angrily. "Bloody hell," she muttered as she reached the phone that had been ringing non-stop. "Hello! Tara's not here right now. Who the hell is this?"
There was a short silence, before she heard the unmistakable low voice of Jordan. "Hi Kerri."
"Jordan." Kerri sounded exasperated. "Why in God's name do you have to keep ringing. Once you know she's not in, she's not in!"
"Sorry, I just got a little worried. She wasn't picking up her mobile either. I thought maybe something had happened."
Kerri paused just as she was about lecture Jordan again and sighed. "Okay, fine. She's still at Uni and she probably turned her phone off or something. Relax. Anyway, why are you so anxious to talk to her?" A hint of suspiciousness crept into Kerri's voice. When Tara had come back last night, she hadn't said a word about how the night went, only that she had learnt more about who Jordan really was.
"No particular reason," replied Jordan, then seemed to think better of it. "Well, I was going to ask her to come out tonight actually. Maybe you could ask her for me when she gets back since I'll probably be in the middle of something then."
"Hm, tell me something new," mumbled Kerri. "Where did you want to take her?"
"Nowhere special, just out to the cinema. You guys are welcome to come along. So long as you sit away from us for privacy," Jordan added, chuckling slightly. Kerri was silent and Jordan thought she had hung up. "Kerri? You there?"
"Yeah." The curly-blonde finally found her voice. "Run that by me again. Did you say you wanted privacy?"
"Erm..."
"Am I to take that as meaning that you two are a couple?"
"Well..."
"'Coz Tara hasn't said anything to us about it."
"Kerri!" Jordan cried at last, in a bid to get a word in.
"What?"
"Calm down, okay. I don't actually know if we're a 'couple' yet. I mean I haven't actually asked her those words."
"Have you kissed? As in tongue action kissed?"
"Yeah..."
"Has she told you she loves you?"
"Yeah..."
"Have you told her that you love her?"
There was silence from Jordan, then she sighed. "Not yet."
"Well, when you do, then you're a couple."
Jordan seemed to think about Kerri's words for a minute. "You know, that definition isn't bad. Except maybe you should add in a bit about not being drunk at the time."
"Why, thank you," replied Kerri sarcastically.
"So, you'll ask her for me then?"
"Yes," Kerri sighed.
"Can you get her to text me the details? I don't mind what we see, and I'll probably meet you guys at the cinema," said Jordan.
"Anything else, Ma'am," Kerri mocked.
"Er, yeah. Could we make the film sometime after seven?"
"Fine."
"Thanks, Kerri. I owe you one."
Jordan hung up before Kerri could ask what that exactly entailed. She sat back on Tara's bed, wondering what had occurred last night between her friend and Jordan. Kerri swore that she could hear a lightness in the dark woman's voice that she had never heard before. Maybe Tara is having a good effect on her after all, she thought to herself.
*********** **********
An hour later, Kyle, Jake and Tara walked into the kitchen where Kerri was eating a bowl of salad. "Hey guys."
"Hi Kerri," they chorused.
"Guess who was trying to get hold of you for a whole hour today," she asked, looking at Tara in mock irritation.
The small blonde pulled out her phone and sighed as she saw it had run out of battery again. "Shit. I'm sorry, Kerri," she apologised. "I forgot how persistent she could be."
"Yeah, well. I hope you don't mind, but I used the spare key to take the call. It was driving me nuts, I tell you."
"What did she say?" asked Tara eagerly, sitting down beside her friend. Jake and Kyle gave each other a look behind her.
"She wants you to go to the cinema with her tonight, sometime after seven." She looked up at Kyle. "We're invited too." Then she looked at Jake. "She also said you could bring Ol' Lightswitch along if you wanted."
"Great!" exclaimed Tara. "Are you guys gonna come along then?"
Kyle rolled his eyes at his girlfriend then looked at Jake who shrugged. "I doubt Chris'll be doing anything else tonight," he said.
"A triple date, huh?" Kyle commented. When Tara didn't reply, he went to sit down opposite her. She smiled slyly at him, causing Kyle to drop his mouth open in surprise.
She laughed. "Hey, chill. I'm only kidding."
"Are you now?" said Kerri shrewdly.
"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Tara.
"Nothing. So, you never told us what exactly happened last night." Kerri sat forward, interested in what Tara was going to say.
"Yeah, I was a little shattered. All I wanted was my bed." And Jordan, her mind added. "Well, it was okay. The food was great and I made a new friend. The two people we had for company were Turkish and the man couldn't really speak much English so Jordan spent most of the night talking to him in his own language. His wife on the other hand was very fluent and we hit it off straight away. Then afterwards, Jordan drove me back and before I went back into our halls, we talked for a bit." Tara knew it was a brief rundown of what had actually happened, but she didn't really feel like going into Jordan's personal details with her friends. She saw her friends' faces staring at her intently, waiting for something else. She sighed to herself. "And we also kissed."
Jake clapped his hands. "I told you that mark on her neck wasn't a rash!" he said to Kyle. "Hand it over." Jake held his hand out with his palm facing upwards. Kyle made a face but pulled out a five-pound note and slapped it into his friend's hand.
"Anyway..." said Kerri, glaring at her boyfriend, "She wants you to text her the details and she said she didn't mind we saw. Oh, and she'll meet us at the cinema."
"Thanks, Kerri, I owe you one." Kerri raised her eyebrows at the phrase that Jordan had said to her an hour ago. They even operate on the same brainwave frequency, she thought. Tara grabbed her phone off the table and walked towards the door. "Be right back. Need to charge this damn thing. Why don't you come up with some suggestions on what would be a good film to see?" she called over her shoulder.
As soon as the door closed, Kerri told them all about the phone call from Jordan and what she had said about them being a couple. "I think Jordan's realised that she loves Tara," she finished.
"Hm, took her long enough," Kyle replied.
"Maybe she knew it long before, but she was just too scared to tell her," commented Jake. Both his friends turned to stare at him. "What?"
"Are we talking just about Tara and Jordan here? Or is there something else you want to share with us, Jakey?" asked Kyle, raising his eyebrows.
"...No," replied Jake, but he couldn't hold Kyle's gaze. "So... are we getting separate seats then?" He changed the subject swiftly.
"I guess so," said Kerri. "But what are we going to see?"
"Romantic?" suggested Kyle.
"Oh please." Jake made a face. "We'll never end up watching the damn film, and it'll just be a waste of money."
"He's right," smiled Kerri at her sandy-haired boyfriend.
"Okay, what about horror?"
"Horror's good for me," came a voice from the door.
"Yeah, I'll bet. You can get Jordan to protect you," laughed Jake.
Tara stuck her tongue out at him. "Leave my motives out of this," she replied, chuckling.
"I heard there's a really gruesome Vampire flick out this week. It's meant to be really good. We could catch the eight o' clock showing," supplied Kyle.
Tara glanced at her watch and nodded. It would give her two and a half hours to take her shower and get ready.
*********** **********
They stood outside the cinema as the sky was beginning to darken. "Where the hell is she?" asked Jake, looking around the Square. At quarter to eight, Leicester Square was still buzzing with people and the little group of friends couldn't spot Jordan anywhere. "You did tell her the film started at eight, right?"
"Yeah, of course," said Tara. "She'll be here soon. Don't worry." Tara wondered briefly how she could be so certain. She was actually beginning to feel the cold, since she was dressed in a short, dark blue dress with only a thin covering over her shoulders, and she prayed for Jordan to hurry up.
Her prayers seemed to be answered as she saw a tall figure turn a corner from a small road into the Square. She sported her usual black outfit, complete with her leather jacket. As she came closer, her face split into a grin when she saw Tara and she jogged the rest of the way.
"Hi, I'm sorry I'm late. I er.. had an errand to run." She looked down at Tara and seemed to hesitate for a second, before she leaned down and gave her a welcome kiss on the lips. "Shall we go in?" Jordan had eyes only for Tara, and the others felt like they were intruders on a very private moment. Tara smiled broadly and linked her arm with Jordan's as they walked into the cinema and towards the food stalls. "So what are we seeing?"
Tara hadn't told Jordan what they had picked yet. "You'll see."
"Ah, a surprise?"
"Uh huh."
"I love surprises," chuckled Jordan. They bought a bag of popcorn and a drink and went over to where the others were waiting at the entrance.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Jordan, I don't think you've met Chris." Jordan looked up to see a dark-skinned man, slightly taller than herself. They shook hands, but Tara could see the hidden confusion in Jordan's eyes. She ignored it though. "Well, we'll see you guys after the film." Tara winked playfully at the other two couples and walked in through the doors.
Tara took her seat near the back where they could see the film, but not be crowded by the other spectators. Jordan removed her jacket and hung it over the seat to her right in order to be more comfortable, then sat down next to her, immediately putting her left arm around the back of Tara's chair. Unconsciously, Tara leaned towards Jordan in her seat and settled the popcorn in between her legs, waiting for the trailers to finish.
"This film must be good; there's a lot of people here." Jordan's breath tickled Tara's ear at close proximity. Tara could only nod, as she felt Jordan casually reach her hand over to take some popcorn from between her legs. Tara wondered how long she could stay in this sweet torture before her more primal feelings took over.
The film didn't disappoint. It was action packed, full of suspense and lived up to its blurb as the most chilling film this year. Even Jordan was surprised that it kept her intrigued, knowing that by the halfway point of most films, she was fast asleep. Maybe it was the fact that Tara was sitting next to her for this one that made it all the more interesting. She watched the small blonde, as she sat forward in her seat, gripping the edge of the armrests in anticipation. Jordan couldn't resist, and leaned over towards the exposed neck. Tara was so engrossed in the scene that she didn't notice Jordan baring her teeth. She bit into the tender flesh softly, startling the woman so much that she screamed. Several people in the cinema screamed because of Tara and there were pockets of laughter from around the room. Tara turned to where Jordan was laughing silently and backhanded her gently in the stomach.
"You..." whispered Tara threateningly.
Jordan raised a dark eyebrow seductively as she reach up with her left hand to brush a strand of hair away from Tara's face. Tara lost her battle and brought her hand up behind Jordan's head and pulled her towards her. Their lips met, and sparks of fire were sent to every fibre in Tara's body. Just as Tara was about to deepen the kiss, Jordan pulled away slightly and looked into Tara's eyes, which had taken on a darker green hue. Jordan seemed to be searching for something in her gaze.
"Is this... what you really want?" she asked softly.
Tara gazed back, trying to convey all her love with her eyes. "I want you, Jordan. I love you with all that I am and nothing will ever change that."
Jordan was quiet again as she stared into the green depths. Time was frozen and there was no one around but them.
Then Tara heard Jordan whispering softly, and she thought her heart would burst. "I love you too. I always have."
Tara felt like she wanted to cry, but she stopped herself and took a deep breath, not believing what she had just heard. "Really?"
"Really. I'm sorry I never told you, but I couldn't, you understand?" Jordan glanced down. "I couldn't... let myself become so... vulnerable." She looked up into Tara's eyes again and the blonde saw the pain.
"Love isn't a weakness, Jordan. It's a strength. That's what you have to understand."
"I know that now. I realised it last night... because of you. I love you, Tara." Jordan repeated her words and confirmed it with another soul binding kiss. This time, she didn't break away and when they finally did separate, it was from lack of air.
They smiled at each other, realising for the first time that they had a deep-rooted connection that went beyond the physical realm. "Have I ever told you that you're one of the best kissers I've kissed?"
"Only one of the best?" Jordan pouted, playfully.
"Okay, the best."
Jordan laughed. "Well, actually, I've been told that it's to do with the person you're doing the kissing with. See now, if I were to go and kiss Jake over there, I'll bet he would come back and tell you that I'm one of the worst."
"I'd much rather keep you to myself, thank you. So don't you go off experimenting on your little theory, Ms. Woods," Tara joked.
Jordan smiled. "Never."
They sat back contently, to watch the rest of the film. When it was over, they stood and looked at each other. "Do you know, this is the first night that our plans have actually gone to plan and you haven't had to rush off anywhere."
Jordan covered Tara's mouth with her hand, putting her other arm around her waist and pulling her close. "Shh, I think you might have jinxed it." She replaced her hand with her mouth as they shared another passionate kiss, forgetting that they were standing at the back of quite a crowded cinema. Only when they heard Kyle shouting at them to move their butts out of the screening room, did they pull apart. Jordan picked up her jacket and folded it over her arm, not bothering to wear it since she was quite warm already. Outside the doors, they saw the group waiting for them.
"Enjoy the film?" asked Kerri, smiling at Tara.
Tara turned to look at Jordan. "It was... enlightening." They walked out into the street talking about the merits of the movie. Tara was slightly surprised to see that Jordan could remember it in so much detail.
Suddenly, their peace was shattered as a man came charging towards them. At first, Tara thought he was going to attack them, but Jordan seemed calm as she watched him approach with a look of disapproval. She saw then that he was wearing the insignia of the Wolves on his jacket.
"What is it, Leo?"
Then Tara realised that the man standing in front of them was the same man that she had seen in the Pool House. "Thank God I found you, J." At the mention of her nickname, Tara remembered that it was the same voice that she had heard on the phone to Jordan a few nights back.
"What's happened?" Jordan's voice took on a anxious edge.
"We've been trying to get hold of you for the past two and a half hours."
"I turned my phone off. I didn't want to be disturbed." Tara was shocked to hear that Jordan had done that for her. "Surely nothing could have happened in the hours that I've been gone."
"You better come back now." Leo darted his gaze around at the group of people listening intently. "Tommy... he's done it. He's waiting for you. You got half an hour."
Jordan's demeanour changed in an instant, becoming once more the brutal gang leader. "Where's your bike?"
"I parked it with yours. It's how I knew you were around here somewhere. We need to hurry."
Jordan nodded and turned to Tara, the apology dying on her lips as the small blonde spoke. "No, Jordan! I'm coming with you. Don't even think about leaving me here now."
There was a tense moment as they locked gazes and everyone around them could feel the buzz in the air. Eventually Jordan sighed. "Alright. But you do exactly what I say, okay? And you stay on the bike when we get there." Jordan sucked on her teeth as she thought about what she had just said, but didn't change her mind. "Here, put this on." She handed Tara her leather jacket to wear. Tara did so, feeling like she had just been enveloped by Jordan's strong arms.
"But J..." began her sub-ordinate.
"She's coming Leo, and that's the end of it." The coloured man shook his head and turned around, heading towards the bikes. "Come on," said Jordan to Tara, as she quickly followed Leo towards the road.
"Sorry guys. Hope you liked the film. I'll see you later okay." Her friends were not pleased by the situation, but they could do nothing to stop Tara. They prayed that she would be safe, wherever Jordan was taking her.
*********** **********