****

Later that night at the concert the girls were all seated in the VIP area watching the show.  The guys had just finished “Just Got Paid” and the scary clown face was being wheeled onto the stage.

“I can’t imagine how truly frightening that thing must be for someone with a clown phobia,” Mel said.

“Hell, it scared the crap out of me the first time I saw it and I’ve never had anything against clowns,” Sam responded, not hearing Johnny shout her name from behind.

“Samantha!” he said louder this time as he walked up beside her, grabbing her arm and taking her completely by surprise.  “Let’s go.  We have some matters to discuss,” he ordered as he practically pulled her from her chair while everyone around shared questioning looks.

Sam felt an uneasiness in her stomach as Johnny led her through the halls of the arena, it was almost as if she were being sent to principal’s office to be reprimanded.

“Listen Johnny, if this is about my sister and all of that, I’m really sorry.  I talked to her and I promise it’s not going to happen again,” she explained.  “I really care for Lance and the last thing I want to do is give him more things to worry about.”

“I know sweetheart,” Johnny said, softening his tone and smiling as they stopped in front of the hair and makeup room.  “Have a wonderful night,” he said as he guided her into the room and shut the door.

Sam stood there confused as a large, rectangular box on the tabletop in front of her caught her eye.  As she moved closer, she saw the envelope laying on top addressed to her in Lance’s familiar handwriting.

“So right about now you’re probably wondering what the hell is going on right?  Well, it’s simple really.  I’m taking you out.  A quiet, relaxed, romantic evening, just you and me (okay, and a bodyguard, Johnny insisted, it is New York after all).  If you’re wondering why all the secrecy and hoopla, it’s like I’ve said before, if you’re going to do something, you might as well do it right.  There’s something inside the box that I can’t wait to see you in and Monica should be joining you any minute now to do your hair and makeup.  I can honestly say that tonight I am looking more forward to leaving the stage than taking it.”

Sam’s misty eyes sparkled with happiness as she placed the note down next to the box and removed the lid.  Inside was a beautiful dress in a deep shade of red.  She fell in love with it the minute she saw it.  She removed it from the box and held it up to her body as she stood in front of one of the mirrors.  It had an iridescent chiffon overlay and a flowing hem that stopped just above the knee.  The straps of the dress narrowed in size as they moved up the chest and around the shoulders, eventually becoming nothing more than spaghetti straps as they crossed each other over the open back.

“Are you ready to get started?” Monica asked as she poked her head into the room.

“Absolutely!  Come in!” Sam shouted giddily as she returned the dress to the box, noticing for the first time the matching shoes and wrap also waiting for her.  “He really does think of everything,” she said to herself.

“What was that?” Monica asked as Sam sat in the chair in front of her.

“Oh nothing, just thinking out loud.  So did Lance have any instructions for you as to what to do with me?”

“He said to do whatever you wanted, but he did mention that he thought your hair would look wonderful up because the dress was pretty much back-less.”

“I was thinking the same thing,” Sam smiled in the mirror.

“Okay then, up it is,” she said as she began her work.

She styled Sam’s chestnut locks into big, loose, romantic curls and then gathered them at the crown of her head.  After finishing with her hair, Monica re-touched the makeup Sam was already wearing, giving her a more dramatic, evening look.  As she gazed into the mirror, Sam was extremely satisfied with the finished result.

“Thank you so much Monica.  It looks amazing.”

“I’m glad to do it really.  I don’t get to do all this pretty, girlie stuff on the guys.  Not since the Euro days anyway,” she joked.  “Have fun tonight,” she said as she left Sam to get dressed.

After she was completely ready, Sam sat and waited for what seemed like an eternity before there was another knock on the door.

“Come in,” she called out as she stood.

Lance entered and took a sharp breath the moment he laid eyes on her.

“You are breathtaking,” he gasped.

“Thank you,” she replied, her cheeks now matching the shade of her dress.  “You look quite stunning yourself,” she added as they walked closer to each other.  He was wearing a dark blue suit and matching shirt, and a silk tie just a shade darker.  “Mmm, and you smell good too,” she said inhaling the scent of his cologne as they stood in front of each other.

“Thank you, and so do you,” he smiled as he leaned in to give her a light kiss.  “So the dress fits perfectly doesn’t it?” he asked as he grabbed her right hand with his left and lifted it above her head as he twirled her around to get the full view, his right hand remained suspiciously tucked behind his back.  “Do you like it?”

“I love it, it’s a little tight in the chest area, but somehow I think you were expecting that,” she teased.

“I wouldn’t say expecting, maybe hoping,” Lance winked.

“Uh huh, so what’s behind your back?”

“Oh these?” he shrugged as he brought his hand forward to reveal a bouquet of red roses tied with metallic red ribbon.  “22 roses in celebration of your 22nd birthday,” he said handing them to her.

“But it’s not until tomorrow,” Sam said sniffing the sweet fragrance of the flowers.

“Actually, it’s only about an hour or so away if you want to get technical.  And that’s why I did it tonight, because I figured you’d probably be expecting it tomorrow night.”

“I wouldn’t say expecting, maybe hoping,” she mocked playfully.

Lance smiled broadly at her as he spoke again.  “Well tomorrow night we will all go out and celebrate.  I wanted to spend some time alone with you though and I knew that if I tried to monopolize your time on your birthday Jen and Mel would kill me, so this way it works out for everyone.”

“Especially me.  I get to celebrate two nights in a row, and I can’t think of two better ways to do it than an evening alone with you and a party with my friends.  I really can’t believe how wonderful you are to me,” she said throwing her arms around his neck and pulling him into a tight hug.  “You’re amazing.”

“The night hasn’t even begun yet,” he said as they released.  “Are you ready?  We have a private engagement to attend.”

“I can’t wait.  Where are we going?”

“You’ll see when we get there,” he said coyly as he extended his arm to her and they made their way to the waiting car.

****

Lance and Sam were sitting in the private dining area that he had reserved at the Russian Tea Room.  It was an intimate space, decorated elegantly and lit only by the many candles around the room.  Todd, the bodyguard accompanying them, was seated outside the door.  The couple had long since forgotten about his presence and was currently sipping champagne after enjoying a few bites of several different entrees.  They had both eaten dinner earlier in the day and weren’t hungry enough for a full meal.  The two of them sat and talked about the most random subjects and just enjoyed the peaceful time alone.  Every few minutes or so Sam would catch Lance glancing at his watch.  She figured it was part of something else he had planned and wasn’t going to call him on it, but her curiosity got the better of her.

“Why do you keep checking the time?”

“No reason,” he said simply and changed the subject.

A few minutes later he did it again; this time keeping his eyes focused on the watch for an extended period of time.  Sam realized now that he was counting down to midnight.  When the last second ticked he looked at her with a bright smile.

“Happy Birthday Samantha,” he said softly as he leaned in and kissed her tenderly before reaching into his jacket pocket and producing a small velvet box.

“What’s this?” she asked, staring nervously at the package he had placed on the table in front of her.

“It’s a gift.  Open it.”

“Don’t you think the dress and the flowers and all of this were enough?” she questioned gesturing to their surroundings.

“Umm…no,” he shook his head with a smile.  “Come on now open it, you know you want to.”

Sam smiled at him as she gingerly reached for the box and pulled back its hinged lid.  Inside was a delicate ruby and diamond cross pendant on a small chain.  Both were done in a platinum setting.

“Lance!” she exclaimed.  “It’s beautiful.  I love it,” Sam cried as she thanked him with a kiss.  “Will you put it on?” she asked as she removed it from the box.

He stood and fastened it, giving her a kiss on the neck before he returned to his seat.  “So did you catch the theme of the whole evening yet?”

Sam thought for a moment.  “Oh!  Now I get it, the red roses, the dress, this room,” she said referring to the various shades of red used to decorate the space.  “And now the ruby necklace.”

“Well you are a July baby, and red is a color that suits you well.  It’s all about the details,” he said as he stood once again.  “May I have this dance?” Lance asked extending his hand to her.

“I don’t hear any music.”

“I don’t care.  I just want to be close to you,” he said pulling her from the chair.  “We’ll make our own music.”

“In that case, I’d love to,” she beamed as they moved away from the table and danced slowly as Lance began singing an impromptu version of “Lady In Red” with Sam giggling and stepping in to help him out with the words he didn’t know.

After ordering deserts and having another glass of champagne they headed back to the hotel with Lance promising that the night still wasn’t over.  Just before the door shut on the elevator a hand reached in and stopped it.

“Well if it isn’t the kidnapper and the kidnapped,” Mel said as she, Jen, Joey and Justin stepped into the elevator with a couple of the bodyguards.  “By the way, you two clean up very nicely.”

“Forget about the clothes, check out the bling bling around Sami’s neck,” Jen said as she moved closer to inspect the gift from Lance.  “Now that’s very nice.”

“Somebody’s getting laid tonight, somebody’s getting laid tonight,” Joey began to sing as he nudged Lance while shaking his butt to his song.

“You look HOT Sami!” Justin shouted, slightly slurred.  “The red is on FIYA!”

“Had a couple drinks tonight did ya Justin?” Sam asked with a laugh.

“Yep,” he said with a nod of his head.  “But that’s it, just two,” he insisted as he held four fingers up to illustrate his point.

“So where are you guys coming back from?” Lance asked.

“Dumb and Dumber took us clubbing,” Mel answered.

“You’re Dumber,” Joey and Justin said to each other simultaneously.

“No, I’m not, you are.”

“Am not!”

“Are too!”

"Anyway," Sam said above their continued arguing.  "Do I even need to ask where the rest of our clan is?"

"Probably not, but I'll tell you.  JC went out with us for a little bit then came back to get some sleep and Chris and Dani are probably doing what you too are about to be doing," Jen quipped before turning her attention to Joey and Justin.  "If you two don't shut up, I’m going to give you both a spanking and send you to the corner," she yelled, regretting it almost as soon as it left her mouth.

“PLEASE DO!  It’s been a while since I’ve had a good spanking,” Joey said wiggling his eyebrows.

“Ya know,” Justin said squinting at his watch.  “If I’m reading this thing right, Sami is the one that really deserves the spanking because it’s officially a few hours into her birthday,” he reminded as the elevator stopped at their floor and they all walked off.

“Oh that’s right!” Mel hollered.  “Get her!”

“Now wait a minute,” Lance commanded, trying to remain straight-faced as he stepped in between her and the rest of their friends.  “You can spank her all you want tomorrow.”

“HEY!” Sam protested.

“But our night alone still isn’t over, so just back off,” he finished.

“We get to spank her tomorrow, we get to spank her tomorrow,” Joey sang as he skipped off to his room.

“Fine,” Mel huffed.  “I’m going to bed then.  Happy Birthday Sami, I hope you have fun with your stupid boyfriend,” she pouted.

“Oh I’m sure she will.  Don’t forget the ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign you two,” Jen teased as she walked into her room followed by Justin.  “This isn’t your room Fro,” she said pushing him back into the hallway and into Mel.

“Oh right,” he said as he turned to go before stopping and turning back to the two girls.  “Where is my room again?” he asked scratching his head.

“Over here,” Mel said guiding him across the hall and taking the key from his hand.

“It’s dark in there,” Justin said with a childlike whisper as she opened the door.

“Yes, that happens when all the lights are off.”

“Well who turned them off?”

“I’m guessing you did,” Mel said as she walked inside the room and turned on a light.  “Better?”

“Much, now get out of my room woman,” he said with a smile.

“Goodnight and you’re welcome,” Mel said as she walked across the hall to her own room and shut the door as Justin did the same.

“So exactly why are you in such a hurry to get me into this room alone, huh?” Sam asked with a questioning eyebrow as she sat down on the couch and removed her shoes, rubbing her hands along the tired arches of her foot and up her leg before pulling the clips from her upswept hair and shaking her head slightly, enticing the brown curls to fall at her shoulders.  “Lance?”

“Sorry,” he said shaking his head.  She had no idea how tantalizing her completely innocent actions were to him.  “I told you the night wasn’t over yet,” Lance answered as he took off his jacket and sat down next to her while loosening his tie.  “I have something else for you.”

“You do?”

“Uh huh, come here,” he directed, pulling her closer to him as he reached for the remote on the table in front of them.

“Umm, I don’t know if I’ve ever told you this, but I’m not into porn honey,” Sam laughed.

“You’re not?  That’s too bad.”

“UGH!” Sam said trying to pull away from him.

“Kidding, I’m kidding,” he laughed as he pulled her closer.  “We’re not watching porn,” he reassured as he turned on the television and VCR and started the videotape.

“Then what are we watching?”

“I guess you could call it a video diary of us.”

Savage Garden’s “I Knew I Loved You” began playing as a photo of Sam and her sisters floated across the screen.  They were standing in the middle of a large crowd of *NSYNC fans inside a venue.  The next picture was of Sam proudly standing next to her “I LUB LANTH” pancake creation.

Maybe it’s intuition
Some things you just don’t question
Like in your eyes
I see my future in an instant
And there it goes
I think I found my best friend
I know that it might sound more than a little crazy
But I believe

I knew I loved you before I met you
I think I dreamed you into life
I knew I loved you before I met you
I have been waiting all my life

“Oh my god!  Where’d you find these?” Sam screeched.  “I thought I hid them.”

“You did but not good enough,” he smiled.  “They fell out from behind some other pictures in your photo album.”

“You are such a snoop!  You just couldn’t resist getting a little dig in about the whole fan thing, could ya?”

“Nope.”

Sam turned back to the TV as the music switched to Bonnie Raitt’s “Something To Talk About” and more pictures scrolled through the screen.  This time they were of the two them when they were still just friends, yet it was obvious to everyone else there was much more on their minds.  The first one was one of them at the venue in Biloxi the first night of the tour that Sam remembered posing for at Diane’s insistence.  The next was of them on the plane to Los Angeles for Wango Tango.  It was Sam’s first flight ever and the look on her face is of sheer terror and Lance’s of sheer pain because he made the mistake of offering his hand for her to hold.

People are talking, talking ‘bout people
I hear them whisper, you won’t believe it
They think were lovers kept under covers
I just ignore it, but they keep saying
We laugh just a little too loud
We stand just a little too close
We stare just a little too long
Maybe they’re seeing something we don’t, Darlin’

Let’s give them something to talk about
Let’s give them something to talk about
Let’s give them something to talk about
How about love?

“Look at us.  We were so obvious.  We couldn’t we see it in each other?”  Sam asked him.

“I think we both a little too afraid to really look,” Lance reasoned.

Sam agreed as they relived more moments of the past couple of months together.  There was a picture of them on the ship in Cannes when they went to stir up excitement for the guys’ movie project.  A shot of Sam laughing at him we he showed her the outfits the group was planning to wear to the MTV Movie Awards, and also included was a photo of when he took her horseback riding for the first time in Kentucky.

I feel so foolish, I never noticed
You’d act so nervous,
Could you be falling for me?
It took a rumor to make me wonder
Now I’m convinced I’m going under
Thinking ‘bout you every day
Dreaming ‘bout you every night
Hoping that you feel the same way
Now that we know it, let’s really show it, Darlin’

Let’s give them something to talk about
Let’s give them something to talk about
Let’s give them something to talk about
How about love, love, love, love?

“Do you know how many new things I’ve experienced in the past three months just because of you?” Sam said as she snuggled closer to him.  “I’ll never be able to thank you enough for everything you brought into my life.”

“Same goes for you, and don’t even try arguing with me,” he warned as he kissed her.

The song changed again and this time it was another ballad, one that was adored by Sam.  It was titled “What Did I Do (To Deserve You)” and was sung by her favorite country artist, Bryan White.  The images on the screen now were of the very beginning of their romantic relationship, starting with one that Jen snapped at the karoke club on the night they eventually got together, followed by some other candid photos of them just hanging out on the bus.

Unbelievable
Describes your smile so sweet
Inconceivable
That you’re a part of me
The innocent look in your eyes
Love without compromise for me
It’s a mystery

What did I do to deserve you
Only God’s hands could’ve made you
And brought this dream to life
Always swore that I would never fall
I guess miracles happen after all
And what did I ever do to deserve you

“Aww Lance, I can’t believe you used this song,” Sam said wiping a tear from her eye.

“Hey no tears, this is happy stuff.  And I used it because I remembered how you said it was one of your favorites of his, watch there’s more.”

Now there were memories of the picnic he took her on in Albany to commemorate their one-week anniversary, followed by shots of them with her parents and other family members in Michigan before the two most horrible days in their relationship.

Unconventional
It describes my love for you
Unconditional
Cause there’s nothing I won’t do
I pray as this feeling grows
That you’ll always touch the heart and soul of me
It’s a mystery

What did I do to deserve you
Only God’s hands could’ve made you
And brought this dream to life
Always swore that I would never fall
I guess miracles happen after all
And what did I ever do to deserve you

I’ve waited all my life
To hold such a treasure
What is this feeling worth
There’s no measure
What did I do

You brought this dream to life
Always swore that I would never fall
I guess miracles happen after all
And what did I ever do to deserve you
To deserve you
To deserve you

“Hey come on now, I said no tears,” Lance smiled wiping the liquid from her cheeks.

“I’m sorry, but you had to expect it from my sappy self.”

Once again the songs switched tempos and Faith Hill’s “This Kiss” began playing as a multitude of photos passed over the screen, all of them of Lance and Sam doing what else but kissing.  A couple of them were obviously staged but the majority of them were natural with the pair either having no idea that they were being photographed or simply just not caring.

I don’t want another heartbreak
I don’t need another turn to cry
I don’t want to learn the hard way
Baby hello, oh no, goodbye
But you got me like a rocket
Shooting straight across the sky

It’s the way you love me
It’s a feeling like this
It’s centrifugal motion
It’s perpetual bliss
It’s that pivotal moment
It’s ah, impossible
This kiss, this kiss…unstoppable…
This kiss, this kiss

“I can’t believe there are that many picture of us kissing already.  Who knew they all had a valid reason for giving us such a hard time?” Sam shrugged.

“I know, and just think about it, it’s not like somebody is taking a picture every time we kiss,” Lance pointed out.

“So are you saying we do a lot of kissing?”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying,” he said with a grin as he kissed her.  “And I like it that way.”

“Me too,” she smirked and kissed him again.  “So is that the end of the tape?”

“No there’s one more song left.  I just hope you don’t think it’s too corny…it’s not really an *NSYNC song…well I guess it is…but the lyrics just seemed to be written about us though,” he babbled.

“Lance you can’t seriously be worried about being too corny to the queen of corny can you?”

“Good point.”

The final song was the *NSYNC duet with Joe, “I Believe In You”.  Sam watched as a selection of very sentimental photos of her and Lance flashed in front of her eyes.  Two of her favorites being a self portrait that they took themselves one day acting silly and a shot of them curled up in each others arms sleeping on the bus.

I never believed in dreaming
It never got me very far
I never believed that love could find me
Like an arrow through the heart
I never believed in miracles
Or building castles in the air
Not until that day I found you
Turned around and you were there

From the day you came
You gave me a whole new point of view
I’ve been touched by an angel
It’s impossible but true

I believe in you
I swear that forever from today
No one will ever take your place
I believe in you
And I believe our love will last
Always

Sam had no words this time, only tears as the pictures poured over the screen.  The lyrics seemed to fit perfectly with their relationship, just as Lance said.  The most touching photo in the next group was the one of them taken on the beach near her family’s cabin by a passer-by.  The relief and joy in their faces was clear, they had made it through their toughest test so far and came out stronger than ever.

I never believed in fairytales
Though sometimes I wish I could
I never believed that golden slippers
Could ever find the perfect foot
I never believed in magic
Or that wishes could come true
But your very first kiss
Changed all this
Something only you could do

You made me a believer
You made me trust again
You showed me there’s a pot of gold
In every rainbow’s end

I believe in you
I swear that forever from today
No one will ever take your place
I believe in you
And I believe our love will last
Always

Only love
Sets you free
And if it’s up to fate
Then you’re my destiny
Now I know
Now I see
Anything can happen
If you just believe

I believe in you
I swear that forever from today
No one will ever take your place
I believe in you
And I believe our love will last
Always

The last photo appeared and remained as the song faded out.  Much to Sam’s surprise it was a shot of them from earlier in the evening.

“But…how…when?” she muttered with a confused expression as she wiped the tears from her face.

“Well, you know how Steve just happened to be walking by with a camera as we were walking out?” Lance smiled.  “Lets just say it was exactly by chance and while we were gone I had him add it to the end of the tape and then bring here so it’d be ready when we got back.”

“I can’t believe you did all this for me,” Sam said shaking her head in disbelief.  “It’s just a birthday.  Why?” she questioned gazing into his green eyes.

“Isn’t it obvious?” he asked tilting his head slightly.  “I’m in love you with you Samantha.  I love you.”

Sam took a sharp breath and closed her eyes tightly as a look of concentration graced her face.

“Sam?”

“Shh,” she said placing a silencing hand on his mouth.  “I’m remembering how that sounded.”

Lance chuckled.  “Open your eyes goofball, you don’t have to remember it.  I’ll say it again.  I love you,” he repeated.

“I love you, I love you, I love you,” she replied excitedly while planting kisses all over his face, finishing on his lips.  “Mmm, I love you,” she mumbled through their embrace.  “Can we watch the video again?” she asked with wide eyes as they pulled away.

“We can do whatever you want, it’s your birthday,” he said as he proceeded to rewind the tape.

“EEE!  I love you!” she shrieked again.

“And I love you.”

“You do realize that this is going to become just like the kissing thing, now that we’ve started it, we’ll be doing it constantly and annoyingly,” Sam said as she cuddled herself in his lap.

“Of course, is there any other way when it comes to us?” Lance asked playfully as he kissed the top of her head.

“Okay, just checking,” she laughed as the video started again.

Chapter 39