Ricky And Jackie

26. Jackie

"One more, beautiful! There! Fierce, fierce! Voilà!"
The photograph is so hilarious I have a hard time doing "fierce poses". I'm posing for W magazine and I love of so far. The team is really nice and it didn't take long for us to get along and crack jokes on the set. Between two sets, the reporter chats with me for the interview.

"I heard you're still single. Is that true?"
"Well, yeah, technically."
Oops. Her eyes light up and she beams:
"Really? What?"
I wiggle my eyebrows.
"Can't tell you for the moment. I'm seeing someone, but we're not a thing. We'll see where it goes."

Fortunately for me media training did me good. I can't fuel rumors with me and Ricky while he's still on his hospital bed. We have all our time to date.

"You always make a fuss when you step on the red carpet. What do you think fashion brings to you?"
"It allows me to express myself. I like being that person that proves that you don't necessarily need to flaunt your bare skin in order to be memorable inthe media eye, and I like that."
"Would you say it's your favorite part of your job?"
"Absolutely."
We both start laughing.
"I also heard you had a part on Spiderman's reboot. Congratulations!"
"Thank you!"
"Can you give us more information about it?"
"Unfortunately, not much. I myself can't tell which role I'll do, but it is not Spidey's love interest. Sorry, shippers. We haven't started filming yet, so I myself don't have a clue what it will be like."

The photograph motions for me to come back and I hop to his side.
"For this one, I want something funny, I want you! Imagine it's just me and you, okay? And this time, you can laugh if I say something funny, okay dear?"
"Alright, Zaq, you got it!"

I step back in front of his camera and sit on a chair, pretending to be bored, then dreamy, and so on.

When I'm finally done with the photo shoot, I sit down with the interviewer from earlier to finish our interview. She tries to bring back the dating subject but I quickly shut it down. Although I probably want to talk about it as much as I do.

I then have an appointment with my siblings at our place. Well technically it's Jackson's brand new house but I live with him and Janet is always there because of my career. And God do we need to catch up. 

"Hey, princess!"

"Hey bro! How's it going?" 

"Worried sick! Where in the world were you?"

I eye him suspiciously: I have a feeling someone told him. 

"You remember Ricky?" 

He smiles a little. "Yeah. I just heard about the accident from your sister. You went to see him?" 

"Huhum."

"How was it? Not too awkward?" 

"It's much more awkward to explain, actually. It's been two years and nothing changed between us. I just heard his voice and I...

"You were 18 all over again." 

My face heats up. Jackson was much more laid-back now than when I started dating Ricky. He was still protective, but in a different way. Per example, the name of the prince of Hispaniola didn't cause him to pull out his baseball bat anymore. Maybe the fact that I didn't date anyone since might have helped too. 

My brother wraps his arms around me. I almost get teary hugging him back. I'm so grateful for the support. 

"Group hug?"

My sister jumps in and hugs both of us. 

"Girl, you startled me!" complains my brother in a laugh. 

"We better get that barbecue started before the kids come back with Gisele."

Giselle is my brother's fiancée. He has been dating her for over two years before he asked for her hand last year. Funnily enough, her parents come from Hispaniola, so I enjoy practicing my French and Spanish with her. Right now, both Royalty and Joni are out with her at the park with her nephews, giving us some time to bond together as siblings. And, unknowingly, planning a surprise number for her at the wedding. 

"Team Coleman, where you at?" yells Jackson when we step in his backyard.

"Jeez, calm down, dude," Janet hushes. 

"We need to talk about our baby sis, Jay." His tone is more serious than I expected. 

"What's wrong Jake?"

He motions us to sit down. 

"Ricky is back, but injured and at the hospital. Jackie got shot..."

"I'm fine..."

"Let me finish Jack! What I mean is... I don't think it is a coincidence. Be it some Hispaniolan terrorists, Ellicky shippers or business partners looking for revenge, I think both of you should start walking around with security."
"As in bodyguards?"
He nods. "I can take care of that for you if you want."
"No, you've got a wedding coming up. I'll take care of that, no worries." says Janet. "I'll also get Mindy to investigate on this. It is fishy when we think about it."
We all shake on it and move on to the surprise wedding number.
"I think Janet should totally sing on this one. And Jake and I would dance? I suggest.
"Depends of the song. We've all been blessed with good vocals anyway." adds Janet.
"Maybe I should sing for Giselle and you girls be the backup dancers."
"Again, depends on the song. God knows I have no swag whatsoever."
"While I have no sway. But Janet, you can still dance hip hop, you just don't like it."
Jackson and I both look at her with pleading eyes.
"Fine! I'll do it. What song do you want, Jake"
"I don't know yet, honestly. I wanna pick something that connects with her and that is appropriate for the context too, y'know? We can't play Welcome To The Candyshop and get away with it."
"At least, you can't." I mention, fistbumping with Janet. "But yeah, just text us the song. I might get some friends into it too if you want more backup dancers."
"It's fine by me." He gets up with his rib. "Let's drink to the Colemans!"
Janet snorts and fills him a glass of lemonade."Cheers!"
We all raise our glasses to the blue sky and the future events to come in our family.

At last! Inspiration strikes back! 😂