Chapter 9 #2
Both Stephanie and Andrew stepped up, and her chest tightened when they found nothing. Ms. Simmons pushed open the gym door and walked in with Jordan. He hurried over to her side and pulled her into a hug turning her away from the crowd to check on her.
“No luck?” he asked making her sigh.
“No, they were in my bag. I put them in there while it sat on the bleachers.”
“There’re still a few people left to check,” he said watching as they made their way through the lines and following them as they left. “Where are they going?”
“The locker rooms,” Tate answered as it dawned on him.
“Ah hell, Mr. Nelson, Coach Ross, isn’t it possible that someone took the items and then put them in their locker in case Mel figured it out?
” he asked as the room cleared leaving just her, Tate, Jordan, and the teachers.
“All they’d have to do is slip them into their bags after they changed and leave with them.
They wouldn’t expect us to recheck bags, right? ”
“It’s entirely possible,” Coach Ross admitted. “We were playing basketball in smaller groups, on each of the four sides, and when someone wasn’t tagged into the game, they were supposed to stay off the court.”
“We’ll conduct searches of the locker room once they’ve cleared,” Mr. Nelson told them, “and if we don’t find them there we’ll move onto lockers of your classmates and their bags again.”
“Thank you,” Jordan said rubbing her back. “Mel, I’m sure we’ll find them and if not it’s okay.”
“No, it’s not Jordan. It’s not about the ring and the necklace it’s about the fact that someone could be so mean to take them out of my bag and not expect me to notice, and then it’s the fact of what they are.”
“Why don’t you go and change,” Ms. Simmons suggested. “You can use my classroom to wait if you’d like.”
“No, I want to know who took them,” she said knowing she’d never be able to sit around.
“I’ve already informed the office that anyone attempting to leave should submit their bags for checks,” Mr. Nelson told her. “We will find them.”
Mel and Tate made their way into the locker rooms and changed while Mr. Nelson, Coach Ross and Jordan searched the men’s and Ms. Vincent and Ms. Simmons searched the women’s with her. They met up in the hallway and she knew no one had found them.
“I’ll go get a list of locker combinations,” Mr. Nelson stated as he moved off from their group.
They went through the list numerically, instead of going from one side of the hallway to the next by following the list alphabetically. They were three-fourths the way through it when the bell rang. Stephanie saw them and hurried to her locker, which was two away on the sheet.
“Miss Augustan, if you wouldn’t mind,” Mr. Nelson said moving quickly towards her. “What was that you just put in your pocket?”
“Just a gift from a friend,” she said as she shrugged.
“I’d like to see it,” he stated holding out his hand. They stood staring at each other for almost a minute before she reluctantly handed it over to the man. He opened it and glanced towards them.
“I told you it was a gift from a friend,” she said reaching for it.
“Melinda?” Mr. Nelson said holding it out to let her see it. “Is this your ring?”
“That’s it,” she told him.
“She’s lying. She obviously saw it and is trying to get you all to believe it’s hers,” Stephanie argued.
“I think you’ll find Mel’s telling the truth,” Jordan said as the hallway quieted a bit. “If you look at the band, you’ll find the date May seventeenth engraved on it.”
Mr. Nelson took the ring out and checked before putting it back and turning to Stephanie. “Miss Augustan, where are the other pieces?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said crossing her arms over her chest.
“Where are my necklace and my other ring,” Mel asked taking a step towards her. “I swear to god you better hand them over…”
“What’s wrong Indy, afraid your john there won’t buy you anymore nice things?” she crowed.
“Where are my wife’s wedding band and necklace?” Jordan stated in a tone she’d never heard him use.
“Your what?!” Stephanie asked as her jaw dropped open.
“Where are my wife’s things?” he restated.
“They’re in Andrew’s locker,” she answered backing up a bit. “He’s the one who took them.”
“Miss Augustan, Mr. Cooper, you two my office now,” Mr. Nelson stated handing Mel the ring box as Coach Ross opened Andrew’s locker after he’d tried to run, staying him with a hand on the shoulder. He pulled out the necklace and the gold band and handed them over to her.
“Thank you,” she told the teachers before turning to Jordan. “Let’s just go.”
“No, I want to know why,” he stated still angry at the things Stephanie had said about Mel.
“Because they’re jerks that’s why, Jordan. Come on,” she tried putting her hand on his face to force his gaze towards hers. “Let’s forget them; help me with these, all of them?” she asked quietly.
“You’re going to wear both of my rings now?” he said as his face softened towards her.
“Well you did just blow our cover,” she teased as he took the necklace and fastened it around her neck for her.
“I’m sorry, I just couldn’t stand listening to her talk like that about you, baby.”
“It’s fine Jordan. I told you it’d come in handy to keep it quiet, didn’t I?” she said as he slid her emerald ring on then followed it with the wedding band, kissing them before pulling her in for a hug.
“Would you like to join us?” Mr. Nelson asked. “If you want to press charges…”
“No, all I want is to get as far away from them as possible,” she said and Jordan backed her up fully.
“I understand,” he stated. He and Coach Ross ushered Stephanie and Andrew away as the rest of the school turned to stare at her and Jordan.
“Well, I guess this means I don’t have to keep it quiet anymore, do I?
” Tate asked with a grin that she knew meant trouble.
He raised his voice and stated, “Anyone who’s staring might want to take a picture cause they’re not going to hang around to be gawked at…
that’s right people nothing to see here.
Move along…move along…just a high school senior and her husband, nothing unusual there. ”
“I am so going to kill you,” Mel laughed under her breath at him as she accepted his hug before Jordan pulled her against him and they began to walk towards the front door.
“Oh right my Jeep, hey Tate can you drop off the Jeep at our place?” she asked tossing him the keys. “I’m just going to ride with Jordan.”
“Sure thing Mel; do I get to play in the man cave?”
“Don’t touch the steaks in the fridge,” Jordan warned him.
“I won’t, at least not until Mel gets home to cook them,” he answered heading into his next class.
Jordan stopped her outside as they turned the corner. She was quite aware that they were standing in the middle of the quad and that there were hundreds of people possibly watching them.
“Jordan, thank you,” she stated.
“I didn’t do anything,” he argued as he pulled her into his arms and gently raised her chin.
“You defended me, you made sure no one could put a dirty spin on the rings and the necklace, and you showed up when I needed you, so thank you,” she said reaching up on tiptoe to kiss him.
“Behave Mrs. Turner,” he teased as they pulled apart. “Your classmates are about to be scandalized.”
“Ah but I’m supposed to be on my way to becoming Mrs. Holmes. So what do you say we get to work? I don’t think the boss would like it if we were caught making out; I mean he happens to be my husband.”
“Is that right? Well I’d best get you to him then, shouldn’t I?” he stated twining their fingers together as they headed to his truck. “Are you sure you’re okay Mel? With our status coming out and what they did today?”
“I will be,” she said, with a sigh as she settled back into the seat.
“Good, I have to say not having to watch what I call you will be nice, though I do have one question.”
“What’s that?” she asked turning her head to look at him.
“Why did you tell them the necklace was only worth seventy-five and the ring a hundred when they’re both worth at least five times that much?”
“I didn’t want someone taking it and hiding it because they knew how much it was worth in case they were simply missing, but I also wanted them to know that they weren’t some little knockoff. I’m proud to wear them both, you know that.”
“Yes, you did thank me quite well for the Christmas present once we were home,” he teased kissing her hand.
“Jordan!” she scoffed as a blush crept up her neck.
“What baby?”
“Shut up…”
“Only if you kiss me,” he countered as they hit a red light.
She leaned over and pressed a kiss to his cheek before giving in and lightly kissing his lips.
“I’m glad you’re the one going to that place tomorrow and not me,” he said a few minutes later as they continued on their way.
“You don’t think you’d be able to handle the stares now that it’s come out we’re married?”
“Nope and if you need to get away for a bit just let me know. I’m sure your boss can come up with a trip out of town for a couple days,” he told her. “After all we never had a honeymoon, did we?”
“Yeah, I don’t think that we’re going to be able to take one of them for a while even after I graduate.
We’re still going to be extra busy. Hopefully with the college development and then with me going to school again.
We’re looking at year five of our marriage before we’re likely to get the chance to take one. ”
“Then we’ll have to make up for it in other ways, starting with a little surprise in the office for you,” he teased as they pulled up.
“What sort of surprise?” she asked as they went inside. “Wait…where’s all my stuff?”
“Right this way,” he said ushering her back towards his office. He stopped at the door opposite it and pushed it open.
“Jordan…oh my god…this is…” she gasped looking around the room. “I thought you were saving this for another architect?”
“I was but since that’ll be you sooner than we know, and you do run this place beautifully…I promise if we get this bid, we’ll hire another girl for out front.”
“Or guy,” she countered with a grin.
“Or guy,” he agreed making her grin brighter. “We’ll get someone to take over part of your load and then you’ll have more time for your college classes and hopefully my brilliant wife will be able to get through college faster.”
“Well I will be considered a sophomore by the time I take one class there, unless of course I can convince my husband, boss, and the school to let me take classes this summer. Then I could get my degrees in three years and see about the master’s program.”
“Degrees?”
“Architecture, engineering and business admin that way no matter what I decide I can still help out here.”
“That won’t be too much on you?” he asked, sliding his arms around her, stroking her neck gently making her melt.
“Well if you hire someone else to help out, I can focus on payroll, the marketing, and that sort of thing while the rest is given to them. I can see about getting my classes early enough then I can still pop in and help out.”
“You have everything worked out, don’t you?”
“Oh absolutely…not, I simply like to think ahead.”
“And what are you thinking ahead to right now?” he asked leaning over her.
“Tonight after Tate leaves…you and me and that nice big bed of ours.”
“I like that thought,” he grinned kissing her. “I like it a lot.”
“That’s the idea,” she teased pushing him towards his office. “Work boss man.”
“Yes ma’am.”