After a relatively uneventful dinner with Justin, and forcing a bowl of soup down Justin's throat, Ariel let him go back to sleep and she returned to the room where the rest of the guys were. As she walked in the room she was greeted by pure pandemonium. Eric, who had awakened from his nap, was climbing all over JC while he was trying to make a phone call. Joey was running around half-naked looking for the perfect shirt to impress his date that night. Chris was playing a video game and yelling at the screen when his player kept dying. Meanwhile, in the adjoining room, Lance and Jessica were oblivious to all this a were making out. JC looked up gratefully when Ariel walked into the room. Ariel walked over to JC and picked up her son.
"What were you doing buggin JC? Huh Bugaboo? Want some dinner? I'm pretty sure I have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for you." Ariel said as she sat him down at the little desk in the corner of the room
"Juice too?" Eric asked hopefully
"Yeah juice too. And if you're a good boy, cookies for dessert."
Eric grinned in response and began to chow down on his sandwich. Joey came up to Ariel, holding two shirts on his arm.
"Ariel, I need a woman's opinion...which do you like? The red," he said as he held it up to his chest, "or the blue."
"Definitely the red."
"Really?"
"Oh yeah, it'll look supersexy."
"That's what I like to hear! Thanks girlie." Joey gave her a light kiss on the cheek and went off to finish getting ready for his date
JC snapped his cell phone shut and stuffed it in his pocket, got up and went over to Ariel and Eric.
"You lil stinker," he said as he ruffled Eric's hair, "that was an important call. Good thing you're so cute, or you'd be in big trouble."
"Was it your manager?"
"Yep, giving us the lowdown on the next couple of weeks."
"Yeah, I was kinda wondering what was gonna be going on while we're here."
"Well, we just finished our tour so this week we're gonna tie up a few loose ends, ya know interviews and photoshoots, that kind of thing. Then we get two weeks vacation before we jump into the studio and start recording." JC said
"Wow. Only two weeks?"
"Yeah, I was hoping for at least a month, but in this business ya gotta strike when you're hot......"
"Well, what are you gonna do for the break?"
"I'm thinking about going somewhere warm and tropical and hanging at the beach all day long."
"Sounds sweet."
"Yeah, I can't wait. So how is Justin?"
"He's one sick puppy, but I have a feeling he's on the road to recovery." Ariel said, remembering the way his lips had brushed hers
"I hope so, we already had to postpone all of our plans tomorrow, if he keeps this up, we'll end up using our vacation time."
"JC, don't freak out. You want him to get better, don't you?"
"Of course I do, it's just, I'm so sick of this promotion crap. I just wanna do the music and go home."
"I don't know how you guys deal with it all, it must be so stressful."
"It is, but we deal because we have to. I need to make another phone call, feel free to hang out here."
"Ok, thanks JC."
JC resettled himself on the couch and whipped out his cell phone once again.
"I'm all done Mommy." Eric said looking at her triumphantly
"Good job, honey."
"Cookie please."
"Well, since you asked so nicely, here ya go."
"Cookie please." Ariel turned around at the masculine voice
"Sure Lance, since you asked so nicely." Ariel stuffed the cookie in Lance's mouth and offered one to her sister who was holding his hand
"No thanks."
"So I noticed you two disappeared. I was wondering what happened to you." Ariel said with a pretend scold
"Oh, we were just catching up." Jessica said sheepishly
"Sure you were."
"And how was your lil visit with Justin, I noticed you were gone for quite a while yourself." Jess said slyly
"We were just...."
"Catching up?" Jessica asked hopefully
"God Jess, sometimes you're so damn infuriating." Ariel stalked away from her sister who immediately burst into giggles.