Disarm

Chapter 2: Loud as a Motorbike

**Billie**

"So, Jane what is it you do again?" Dakota asks Jade as she pushes her salad around, as she calls her 'Jane' again for the 80th time.

"It's Jade, actually." Jade corrects again as she hands Chase another fry off her plate. "I'm head of the intern program at the Recording Academy."

"So, you're like the head intern then?" Dakota asks as the tip of her acrylic nail trails up and down my arm.

"I mean... I guess you could say that?"

"When will you know about the promotion?" Claudia chimes in. What promotion?

"I meet with John again tomorrow to discuss everything."

"Promotion for what?" I finally say after an hour of only listening to Dakota hurl backhanded compliments at Jade and making hushed comments to Finneas behind Dakota's back... literally.

"Oh... uh for Director of Production." Jade says a light shade of pink dusts across her face as she leans down to pick up Chase's shark off the ground.

"What does a 'Director of Production' do?" Dakota asks. I can feel her hand caress my arm and shoulder as Jade's eye quickly flicker from Dakota's hand then down to Chase as he tugs the sleeve of her shirt and leans up to whisper in her ear; then smiles widely as he looks at her then at me.

"Ask her." Jade says, then looks at Dakota, "Sorry... uh essentially I'd be in charge of the musical acts are handled when they perform whether its for TV or not."

"Huh." Dakota hums.

"I'm glad you're happy Bil." Jade says as Chase gives me another hug then reaches out to Jade. "Ok, c'mere you little flirt." She says taking him out of my arms.

"He can still flirt with me." I say smoothing his blond curls. "He's cute enough."

"Yeah, he's pretty cute." Jade says kissing Chase's cheek, as she sets him down taking his hand in hers as she looks down at him. "You ready to go?"

"Yeah." He says clutching the plush shark to his chest.

"Ok." Jade says adjusting her bag. "You gonna drive?"

"Yeah."

"Alright then." She smiles, then looks at me. "See you later Billie." She says putting her hand on my arm gently, her skin is just as warm as I remember and just like that the fire, I'd spent months trying to put out feels like its slowly starting to reignite.

I push the covers off gently careful not to wake Dakota who's sleeping next to me. I grab my phone and make my way to the hotel balcony quietly shut the door behind me. I scroll through my contacts and land on her I take a deep breath and let my thumb hover over the button to call. I know she's still awake working, or she's just gone to sleep. I press "call" and chew on my cuticle as the other line rings, once then twice.

"Hello?" Jade's sleepy yet soft voice fills my ears.

"H-hey... it's Billie." I say unsure if she recognizes the L.A area code.

I hear her chuckle and blankets ruffling, "Billie who?"

"Funny. Did I wake you up?"

"I just crawled into bed. Why?"

"We didn't really get to talk much at dinner and..."

"I'm sorry about that." She sighs, I can picture her fidgeting with the damp braid that hangs over her right shoulder. "I should have told your mom 'no' but she insisted."